Name: Meredith Mackey
Year: Junior
Major: Learning & Organizational Change Major with Theatre and Media Studies Minors
This is our second time talking to you about a show – what’s changed for you and your perspective since R&J?
So much has changed in my second time serving as a producer on this campus. First off, just logistically, McCormick Auditorium (where Anon(ymous) is playing) requires a totally different approach than Shanley Pavillion (where R&J was). Second of all, even though I’m producing another adaptation, this script has not been changed from the playwright’s original text. Working with an established script rather than cobbling one from scratch has allowed me as a producer to put more focus into design rather than creation from new, which has been simultaneously luxurious and challenging.
What is Anon(ymous)’s central theme and how is that meaningful to you?
I would say that Anon(ymous)’s central theme is about journeying, and how the bumpiest journeys bring us to the destinations we need most. I do not claim in any sense to identify with the struggles of the characters in this play, and I recognize that this narrative is not mine. However, through my life I’ve definitely doubted whether or not the journey I was on was one that would be worth it in the end – and, big shock, it always is. That’s my in to this story.
Why do you think the messages of Anon(ymous) would be important to Northwestern students, and more specifically Northwestern women?
As Northwestern students, we are incredibly lucky to be in a community of higher learning and privilege (however relative that privilege is). This story is an incredible reminder of human resilience and strength in the face of adversity, and even in a situation far less dire than the tales of these characters, Northwestern students (and especially women) can always use a reminder that they are powerful and capable of amazing things.
How has being a large part of productions while on campus shaped your experience here and your life outside NU?
Being a part of theatre production, and also productions for NUDM, has taught me so much about the art of problem solving. I am not a person who naturally is good at going with the flow or being flexible, and experiences like these have given me the agency to learn these skills in a setting where I can grow and change alongside supportive and compassionate peers.
What’s your favorite line from Anon(ymous)? Don’t give us any context!
“Do you want to know what happens when mortals tempt fate?”
Any final things you want students to know about you or Anon(ymous)?
I’m so excited to get this show rolling! Come see us for FREE in McCormick Auditorium this Friday at 7 & 10, or this Saturday at 2 & 7!