No Refund Theatre kicks off performances By Hannah Rishel COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Getting set up with someone is always a little awkward but just imagine if the person with whom you’re being set up was brought to you after being knocked uncon scious by a hit man. No Refund Theatre will explore this idea in its performance of “Getting Sara Married” at 8 tonight and Friday and at 2 p.m. Saturday in 111 Forum. As with all NRT pro ductions, the play is student-run and admission is free, but dona tions are accepted. Written by Sam Bobrick, the play centers on Sara, a lawyer who has no time to find a boyfriend. Her romantic Aunt Martha decides to take matters into her own hands by hiring a hit man to knock out a man and deliver him to Sara’s door. Trouble and hilarity ensue when it turns out he’s engaged, but that doesn’t stop Aunt Martha’s plans. Director Melissa Zabell (senior public relations) said she picked Luke Miller (senior-English), Arianna Seidel (senior-English) and Sabrina Bierer (senior-crime, law and justice) rehearse first NRT play. LOVE AND LAUGHTER the show because it works for NRT’s capabilities and it’s “hilari ous, so college students will appre ciate it.” Sara is played by Sabrina Bierer (senior-crime, law and justice), who wants to pursue a career in law after graduation and finds a lot of herself in the role. “Sara is basically me,” she said. Her favorite thing about the role is Sara’s ability to make up stories, Bierer added. “Rather than telling the truth, she lies to people because it sounds better,” she said. Most of the stories she tells involve Brandon, played by Luke Miller (senior-English), the man Aunt Martha is attempting to set her up with. Miller described his character as a “happy-go-lucky” guy “though that could be from getting bonked on the head so many times,” he added. Miller said the role is a lot of fun because he can play it a lot of differ ent ways. If you go What NRT presents “Getting Sara Married” When: 8 tonight and Friday; 2 p.m. Saturday Where: 111 Forum Details: Admission is free, but donations will be accepted Ariana Seidel (senior-English), who plays Brandon’s fiancee, Heather, also enjoys her character. She describes Heather as “feisty” when she realizes Aunt Martha is trying to steal Brandon for Sara. Seidel said her favorite part of the play is yelling at Miller. “I don’t have to worry about the repercussions like I would in real life,” she said. Co-director Nicole Wells (junior recreation, park and tourism man agement) said the play makes her laugh every time, particularly Paul Them (sophomore-economics and mathematics) in the role of Aunt Martha. “It’s my favorite part,” she said. Aunt Martha was originally going to be played by an actress, but dur ing auditions, Zabell and Wells saw great energy coming from the men’s monologues, so they decided to call back some of them for the role of Aunt Martha. “Paul made us belly laugh so hard,” Zabell said. “We knew he had to be the one in our show.” But audiences shouldn’t expect him to be dressed in drag for the show. His costume is a tracksuit because Aunt Martha is a “workout nut.” Them said he is excited, too. “I get to tap into my estrogen,” he said. “I love how romantic and crazy she is. She’s really loony.” To e-mail reporter: hmrso27@psu.edu NRT members rehearse for their production of “Getting Sara Married.”
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