Eddie Birdlace, played by sophomore Aaron Schoepf, is about to sing Some Kinda Time – Reprise with cast members. ANGELINAPEREZ/THEQUADRANGLE
By Matthew Schule, Staff Writer
The Manhattan College Players delivered a moving production of Dogfight this past weekend for their annual spring musical that tells a coming-of-age story set in the early 1960s, on the eve of soldiers being shipped off to fight in the Vietnam War.
The plot revolves around the story of a young marine named Eddie Birdlace, played by sophomore Aaron Schoepf, and his fellow marines having a dogfight. In this competition, each man tries to find and bring the ugliest date to a party with the incentive of winning a large cash prize.
Eddie finds a waitress and aspiring musician named Rose as his date for the dogfight. Rose was played by junior Jill Tuthill. Her performance of the character provided emotional moments in the musical, especially with her song at the end of the first act, “Pretty Funny.”
Eddie begins to feel conflicted about his treatment of Rose and for using her as his date for the dogfight as he learns more about her as their evening progresses. The dynamic of their relationship is altered even further in light of Eddie’s soon departure from San Francisco to Vietnam, and Eddie has to choose between loyalty to his fellow marines and country and the compassion and love he feels for Rose.
Schoepf and Tuthill displayed great chemistry on stage together as a duo and gave an incredible performance for their audience during their duet during “First Date/Last Night.”
One of Eddie’s friends and fellow marines named Bernstein, played by junior education major Landen Scofield, shared that he had a lot of fun doing the show and playing a complex character.
He told The Quadrangle that he worked hard to bring that character from script to stage.
“I had a lot of fun doing the show,” Scofield said. “I got to play a very complex character and try to get the idea behind him.”
Scofield also showed his incredible singing skills alongside Schoepf and freshman Malcolm Naughton, who played Boland in their song “Hometown Hero’s Ticker Tape Parade.”
President of Players and assistant director of the musical Tess Nunan told The Quadrangle about the challenges the production faced with a limited budget compared to previous years. However, she believed that didn’t stop them from using every aspect of the theater to create a deeply moving show.
“I think the subject matter of Dogfight lends itself to a more intimate space,” Nunan said. “So things worked out for the best, and I’m just so proud of everyone.”
The set design and lighting were instrumental in creating the atmosphere for the show, and TJ Perez, stage manager and lighting designer, was responsible.
“This was my third or fourth show running lights,” Perez said. “It’s my last musical here as I’m graduating in the spring, and I had a great time doing it.”
The Players’ members include some of Manhattan College’s most talented performers, and they certainly showcased the group’s wide range of abilities through Dogfight. These actors and actresses ‘ outstanding performances negated the seemingly small size of the Black Box theater.
Nunan put it best with her final remarks.
“I’ve seen the show about twelve times at this point, but I’m not tired of it,” Nunan said.