AUBURN/FULTON – Spring performances by Cayuga Community College’s Harlequin Productions earned a positive response from the Theatre Association of New York State (TANYS), with one student earning an acting award for his diverse work as three characters.
Cayuga first-year student Nolan Callahan received a Meritorious Achievement in Acting Award for his three roles in the spring production, and the TANYS adjudicator praised the entire cast for their work in “Jill Trent: Science Sleuth.”
A spoof of 1940s spy films, “Jill Trent: Science Sleuth” shows the title character and her sidekick Daisy Smith battling Nazi sympathizers during World War II as they search for blastonium, a highly-explosive mythical ore.
The world premiere shows of the Carissa Meisner Smit and Paul Lewis play required extensive set designs and costumes for the actors to transform into their 1940s characters.
“Lots of laughs, humorous characters and a fun and colorful set combined with the talents of this (almost) entirely student cast and crew,” said the show’s adjudicator. “Always a delight, the students paid homage to not only the ‘Jill Trent’ series but also to the comic book genre with all their camp, melodrama, high energy and silly accents.”
Callahan, who previously acted in high school and community theatre groups, said the best part of the production was the experience of working with a new cast, crew and director in his first season with Harlequin Productions.
Callahan filled three roles: Police Sergeant Mulligan; Trixie, a 7-year-old girl who constantly chews bubble gum; and the villainous mastermind Professor Hoffmeister. Callahan cited his role as Trixie as the most challenging.
“While each proved to be challenging, the most by far was Trixie,” said Callahan. “Playing a 7-year-old girl when you’re not either of those things proves for a hilarious irony when put to work. That challenge, then, can be to overcome by playing with that and making it as obvious as you can. Several of the jokes in the show rely on that suspension of disbelief, which made for a better performance.”
Harlequin Productions Director Bob Frame praised Callahan’s work and versatility in the play.
“Nolan fully embraced the over-the-top characterizations needed to realize his characters, which allowed the rest of the company to follow his lead,” said Frame.
Callahan’s award caps off a strong 2019-2020 season for Harlequin Production, one in which the cast and crew also earned TANYS awards for their work in the fall semester performances of “All Around the Table.”
For more information on Cayuga’s Harlequin Productions, visit https://www.cayuga-cc.edu/students/student-life/harlequin/.
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