Local actress stages free play at Pullman Park
An actress from Butler is directing and acting in a modern play that is being performed for free this weekend at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler.
Shannon Donovan, who now lives in Whitehall, Allegheny County, is staging “Indian Summer,” written by Gregory S. Moss in 2016, on the field beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the ballpark, 100 Pullman Park Place.
People planning to go should take folding chairs.
Donovan, 24, has a bachelor's degree in acting from Point Park University and starred as Juliet in the Hobnob Theatre Company's production of “Romeo and Juliet” at Preston Park last year. She has also performed in Butler Little Theatre plays and in theaters in Pittsburgh.
With the COVID-19 pandemic closing the curtain on many theater productions, Donovan was looking for an artistic outlet and decided to put on “Indian Summer” with the help of her mom, Connie Donovan, who is producing the play.
Rehearsals were held in the backyard of Connie's home in Penn Township.
“They just built a new deck this summer so I thought, let's utilize it,” Shannon said. “It was a great place to rehearse, quiet and roomy, and warm outside. It was just the perfect space.”
She said she likes traditional plays like Shakespearean dramas, but wanted something fresh and so picked “Indian Summer.”
“This is fresh, new modern theater for the Butler audience,” Shannon said.
Izzy, her character in the play, is a back-talking, tough-girl who is in a relationship with the “loud mouth, obnoxious” Jeremy played by Gabe Reed of Ohio.
Shannon met Reed when they were students at Point Park University.
Daniel, the lead character, is played by Kyle DePasquale, of Pittsburgh, who performed with Shannon in “Romeo and Juliet.”
After being abandoned by his mother while vacationing at a Rhode Island beach, Daniel is staying with his windowed grandfather, George, played by Don Shearer of Butler.
When Daniel and Izzy meet, Izzy sets aside her tough attitude that fits well with Jeremy's boisterousness and begins to act like herself, and Daniel becomes a stronger person.
“The show's about the nature of relationships and the unfairness of circumstance, and about how time waits for no one,” Shannon said.
The play includes some adult language and no one under 16 years old should attend, she said.
Those who do attend can give a donation that will be used to help cover the cost of the rights to the play, which she bought, and the cost of the costumes that the actors bought, she said.
“I'm directing and acting as Izzy. Boy is that a challenge to do both. I was multitasking that's for sure,” Shannon said.
Her mother has been a big help.
“She's my mom, but we just really work well together. She takes care of props and costumes. Our business chemistry is really great. I'm so grateful we have this relationship. She is super cool and helpful,” Shannon said.
Hosting rehearsals in her back yard has been fun, Connie said.
'It's been a lot of fun. They rehearse out here in the yard pretending it's the baseball field. I'm sure my neighbors are interested in what's going on,” said Connie, who produced many plays for the Butler Little Theatre and served on its board until recently.
“I know the actors are going a little stir crazy,” due to the pandemic, she said. “The theater community is a very tight knit community and everybody helps everybody else out.”
