Front and center
“Tuck Everlasting” started out as a Natalie Babbitt novel about a girl named Winnie who meets an immortal family and must choose whether to join them in living forever or allow her life to play out naturally. The musical adaptation of this story came to life on the stage of Titan Theater Nov. 2-5.
The father of the Tuck Family, Angus Tuck, is played by Colton Tuel. Tuel describes how he fit into the role of Angus.
Mae Tuck is the mother, and glue of the Tuck family. This role was taken on by Laine Cunningham. She does everything in her power to keep the family together and on good terms. She has to balance her family while also fighting the battle of reminiscing on her youth.
After its run in Titan Theater, “Tuck Everlasting” was destined to live on: first as a One Act at the district Play Production competition in Kearney on Dec. 2, where it ranked third, and Jan. 5 on the stage of the Holland Performing Arts Center in downtown Omaha as a featured performance at the Nebraska State Thespian Festival.
Ready set
The student crew that put together “Tuck Everlasting” for Titan Theater had a unique challenge to keep in mind: the set would need to be mobile and ready to be packed into moving trucks for future trips to Kearney and then the Holland Center. Students labeled the set systematically, so they knew which pieces went back together during the rebuild.
Silas Olson played the role of The Man in the Yellow Suit, the evil carnival owner who wants to find and sell the eternal water from the Fosters’ forest. His most influential moments came when he was running the carnival. Silas explained how the setting was a crucial part of his character.
Flashback
Joey Westerdale explained how the show was set up to help the audience understand his flashback scene of Miles Tuck’s younger self, played by junior Teddy Wiberg.
“He wears my costume from Act One, and there’s some hidden things on the set. I put a handprint on part of the set that’s supposed to be from Miles and his son to kind of just make that connection.” Joey Westerdale, 12th
Fast Forward
The main character Winnie, played by Hannah Lane, ages from a young girl into an old woman throughout the musical. The aging Winnie is played by Caeli Karasek. In a quick-paced montage of action, Karasek had to tell the story of a lifetime without saying a single word. She wore the same color dress and wig as younger Winnie to help make the connection.
“I had to become in touch with the emotions of how Winnie would be feeling, and really make sure I’m utilizing my movement and facial expressions. Making sure my every move was very intentional and very obvious to show what Winnie was going through. I have played some very emotional roles before, so I was able to capture those emotional moments of Winnie’s life, like when she loses her baby, or her husband passes away at war.” Caeli Karasek, 12th
