In April 2023, I produced my one-act play, Skogsrå, as my Thesis for my undergraduate BFA at Cornish College of the Arts. This was both a celebration of my heritage and a result of my increasing fascination with open-ended plays. I learned of the Scandinavian lore of Skogsrå during my first year at Cornish, and then magnified and developed the plot of the show during my third year. This project was truly my baby - along with highlighting some of my favorite theatrical devices, I took inspiration from some of my favorite playwrights (Henrik Ibsen, Naomi Wallace, and Neil LaBute).
The production process for Skogsrå was challenging, but fulfilling. I couldn't have done any of it without the help of my team. Jake Dahms, the director and sound engineer, specifically helped facilitate some of the casting and crew hiring. All of this was volunteered work, and I'm forever indebted. Everyone invested was truly brilliant.
Overall, this was a thrilling experience and I'm incredibly grateful. I really loved working with this cast to produce something so mystical. And Skogsrå really took on a life of her own, just as she would have wanted.
CAST
SKOGSRÅ - Jo Branchflower (she/her)
LEIF OLSSON - Darby O’Neill (he/they)
HANNE ELDEN - Delaney Kahler (she/they)
FREYA NILSSON - Anika Thorson (she/her)
NARRATOR - Daniel Haskey (he/him)
CREW
DIRECTOR - Jake Dahms (he/him)
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR - Miru De Peralta (she/her)
LIGHTING DESIGNER - Levin Ritzen (he/him)
SET DESIGNER - Jake Dahms (he/him), Miru De Peralta (she/her)
COSTUME DESIGNER - Grace Andresen (they/them)
SOUND DESIGNER - Jake Dahms (he/him)
COMPOSER - Jake Dahms (he/him)
LIGHT BOARD OPERATOR - Tyler Payne (they/them)
ARTIST - Tori Cohen (they/she/he)
PHOTOGRAPHER - Carolyn Scherbinske (she/they/he)
INTIMACY CHOREOGRAPHER - Sarah Harlett (she/her)
Pictures taken by Carolyn Scherbinske.
More pictures, taken by Carolyn Scherbinske.
Various photos of the process from the cast and crew - specifically Miru De Peralta, Grace Andresen, and Jake Dahms.