On March 13 through March. 22, Concordia’s Theater and Film Department transformed into the cast of “Animal Farm”, directed by Lori C. Siekmann, Professor of Theatre and chair of the Theatre and Film Department. 

This play was a script adaptation written by Ian Woolridge from George Orwell’s satirical novel “Animal Farm.” This allegorical novel critiqued the rise of Stalinism through the use of farm animals who overthrow their human owners to create a better society for themselves. Governed by the pigs, the animals live by their new laws: Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy, Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend, No animal shall wear clothes, No animal shall sleep in a bed, No animal shall drink alcohol, No animal shall kill any other animal and All animals are equal.

Playing two roles, Liam Gilmore, a junior Theatre major, took on the persona of Snowball, the “traitor” pig, and Benjamin the Donkey. To prepare for this role, he watched “ a lot of donkey videos, from Eeyore to real-life donkeys.” He paid close attention to “how they move their mouths, how their legs bend, and how their nostrils and ears work.”  So before each show, he would work on “morphing” his face as best as he could into “pig and donkey-like characteristics”. 

In order to get fully into the role of Benjamin the Donkey, Gilmore emphasizes his time creating the outward appearance of his character. “A lot of it was in where I hold my shoulders, and then when I put on my costume and makeup, the less I could make out my own face, the easier it was,” said Gilmore. 

Not only was Gilmore preparing himself physically, but stretching played a big role as he had to hold himself in “uncomfortable poses for most of the show.” Gilmore added, “I played with the lines before each show to make them feel new and organic, as if I'm saying them for the first time.”

This intense dedication to his role paid off as Gilmore delivered a compelling performance, truly bringing Benjamin to life. 

Gilmore’s often on-stage companion, Clover the horse, was played by junior Theatre and English major, Layla Triman. To get herself into character, Triman “made a playlist of songs that [she] felt reflected Clover’s journey” throughout the show and fit the show’s theme overall. “This really helped me get into the headspace my character was in from the beginning of the show until the curtain fell,” Triman said. 

To deal with the intensity of the show, Triman and Gilmore both emphasized their unwinding time and stressed the importance of community bonding. “It sounds funny, but the moment I go back in the dressing room and wipe off the makeup and dirt and see my face again, it decompresses me,” Gilmore said. Triman shared a similar sentiment, saying,  “Being in an animalistic physicality onstage for an hour straight every night affected me much more than I initially thought, so it required a spike in my self-care outside the theater with getting as much sleep as I could, stretching daily, and staying in shape.” 

As soon as the curtain fell, the cast would play “Let's Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire to  “celebrate having a good show rather than sulking in the depressing ending,” Gilmore said. This cast grew with each other as they spent “all of mid-semester break together rehearsing.”  “We still hung out afterwards, watching movies and playing games. This show has such a deep message and intense moments onstage, and having trust in castmates was so important. Being able to grow with these people while portraying such a thought-provoking story was such a blessing, and I couldn’t have done the show without these amazingly talented friends of mine,” Triman said. 

Stepping away from “Animal Farm,” Gilmore’s main takeaway is that community is so important. “Understanding history is important, and why what happened happens. It’s our job to speak up, not be bystanders. For example, Benjamin is one of the smartest animals; he's one of the only animals capable of standing up to Napoleon's regime, yet he never does… He just lets it be when he has the ability, the smarts to fight back.”  Gilmore said. 

Make sure you catch the Theatre and Film Department’s next production “Scenes of Love From Shakespeare” on April 23 and 24 at 7:30 p.m., as well as April 25 and 26 at 2:00 p.m. Buy tickets now at https://www.simpletix.com/e/scenes-of-love-from-shakespeare-tickets-231063 

Students use the code CUISTU for free admission.

Tags: Theatre

---

About Giselle Parra

More articles by Giselle Parra