Marianne Myers, Chris Holbert, Michael Schaff and Matthew Randall act out a scene of Six Degrees of Separation at NOVA’s Loudoun campus Sept. 25.

At NOVA’s Loudoun campus, student-based theater and community theater have combined for a modernized version of John Guare’s 1990 play, Six Degrees of Separation. The play centers around the way a gay con man — who is also a sensitive, moving speaker — affects the wealthy Kittredge family in New York.

Director Haley Murphy, speaking of the cell phone calls and text messaging that will be seen in this production, said, “We are so much more isolated [than before new communication technology]. We feel like we’re connecting, but in reality, we aren’t.”

Michael Schaff, who plays MIT student Trent in this production, added, “It’s fun to see the lengths people will go to for a connection with another person. Parents [try to connect] with their children, with other parents and with the con man.”

Chris Holbert, who plays the con man, Paul, in this production, said, “[The play] presents two different sides of people. Not everybody is what they first appear to be. Most of the times, we’re all very different [from what we appear], depending on what we’re showing. When people do bad things, they don’t always have bad motives. When people do good things, they don’t always have good motives.”

Director Murphy noted that that the play contains elements of both comedy and tragedy, with the tragedy hitting hard because of how it follows the laughter.

Marianne Myers, who plays Kittredge matriarch Ouisa, noted that the script fleshes out all the characters, making a pleasant experience for both the actors and the audience.

Chris Holbert also commented on the effectiveness of this script. “I think people should see it because it’s a fast-moving script,” he said. “It’s exciting! There are so many different types of people, and everybody knows everybody.”

Matthew Randall, who plays Kittredge patriarch Flan, added, “[The play] was groundbreaking when it was released, and is an appropriate choice for today’s supposedly post-racial society.”

The con-man, Paul, is African-American. Race plays a subtle, just-beneath-the-surface role in conversations and character reactions throughout the play.

Six Degrees of Separation will be performed at the Waddell Theater on NOVA’s Loudoun campus on Oct. 9, 10, 16 and 17 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 11 and 18 at 2 p.m. The show is not G-rated, as it includes male nudity. For more information about this play and other past or upcoming shows from Loudoun’s student and community theater, visit www.cct2ft.com.

By: Christine Boyce

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