heinzj@lopers.unk.edu
UNK Theatre students told the bone-chilling story of “The Haunting of Hill House” from Nov. 16-20. The show kept the Halloween spirit alive for a little longer, featuring many frights and terrors.
The directing baton was handed off to Britney Kouma, who acted in the Theatre department’s last show “Gaslight.”
“It was very interesting to switch from being that person who’s told what to do and having to come up with one specific character to being the person who has to understand all of the characters and give direction to all the actors on what I need from them to create the character I envision,” said Kouma.
In the show, Dr. Montague, a supernatural researcher, has moved into Hill House along with three others to investigate. The house is known for its psychic activity and dark past filled with suicide, murder and burglary.
As Hill House’s horrors continue to shape, the characters come together to search for answers. The closer the crew gets to understanding the mystery of Hill House, the more the house drives them apart.
The show’s isolation theme drew Kouma in because of its relation to people’s COVID-19 experiences.
“I really just want to share how important it is for social interaction,” Kouma said. “Humans are such a social species that once we’re isolated, we really start to cave in on ourselves. It’s really important that we’re all meeting with people, talking, socializing and not just closing ourselves off to each other.”
Hill House’s terrors take their toll on the visitors, testing their minds and sanity. Playing a character in this genre takes acting to a different level. For a normally comedic actress, the role of a psychologically haunted woman is a big switch.
“I’ve had some dramas where I’ve played more serious parts, but this one really went in depth with the mentality of acting,” said Rheann Rodenbur, who plays Eleanor. “That’s a really unique opportunity that not many actors get to have all the time. I just really wanted to take advantage of that.”
“The Haunting of Hill House” closed out the fall performance season for Rodenbur and the rest of the Theatre department. Shows will continue in the spring with “Embodied” from March 2-4 and “Lucky Stiff” from May 3-7.
