Spotlit in the darkness of Schenker Hall, student-run theater group Page to Stage Productions has spent the past few months immersed in tales of blood, magic and fantasy. While in the midst of a tech rehearsal this past Tuesday, light glinted off swords and voices called out for microphone checks and makeup touchups as the group prepared for “The Gilded Throne.”
At the center of this chaos stood Sawyer Ray — fitted with glasses, a sweater and a microphone, and with an assistant director at their side, there’s no one more fit for the directorial role than a physics-student-turned-playwright with a vision.
“My words have only ever been my own until now,” said Ray, who uses they/she/he pronouns. “And it’s really, really remarkable to see so many people not only take seriously what I’ve written and care about it and say that it’s great but also have their own perspectives and their own analysis on it.”
“The Gilded Throne” is an original story written by Ray and based off an old Dungeons & Dragons campaign they had played in. Written with inspiration from “Game of Thrones” and Shakespeare plays, the story focuses on familial, platonic and romantic bonds against the backdrop of fascism in a fantastical world, according to Ray.
Ray spent two years at Quinebaug Valley Community College before transferring to the University of Connecticut. Now in her fourth semester at UConn, they originally studied physics before transitioning to English with a creative writing concentration.
While Ray’s contribution to the production as writer and director is an essential piece of the puzzle for “The Gilded Throne,” she’s not the only one calling the shots. The entire production consists of 30 members, including cast, crew and an orchestral pit, but one person stands out amongst the rest.
Lucy Wiencek is a fourth-semester student studying pathobiology on the pre-veterinary track, with a minor in animal science. Alongside being the organization’s outreach chair, and her role as not only choreographer but a few ensemble parts for “The Gilded Throne,” she’s also one of two assistant directors for the production, accompanied by student Quinn MacBride.
Wiencek first entered the world of theater thanks to a shared familial obsession over “Phantom of the Opera,” which was the first show she had ever seen on Broadway. Wiencek grew up listening to CDs from old movie musicals, which contributed to her love of art and theater.
“It’s also become a very fun form of self-expression and kind of an outlet, because I am such a STEM-oriented person,” Wiencek said. “There’s a lot of ways that you can artistically express yourself through theater.”
Artistic expression is one of the primary advantages of working on an original production, according to Wiencek. All of the characters and settings at play in “The Gilded Throne” are completely novel, which leads to a wide range of interpretations.
“From the production side, it’s kind of crazy to try and find ways to bring these new characters to life,” Wiencek said. “It’s been really insane, being not only the production team for the first time ever, but on an original production. There are no exact reference and there’s just a lot of creativity that you can tap into and explore because it is such an original and unique show.”
Wiencek said she particularly enjoys her role as choreographer for the show. Typically, Wiencek will refer to a production’s original text to understand how the characters operate, which is impossible to do with “The Gilded Throne.” Instead, as choreographer, Wiencek can develop and understand characters through their movement and body language.
“Even though there’s one dance, there’s a lot of fight scenes,” Wiencek said. “I find it very easy to find a character through knowing how they live, being in their skin. I used to always say that, when I would assistant direct in high school, that you should be able to put your character on like a jacket and, like, live in their shoes.”
One of the most notable characters in “The Gilded Throne” is Abigail, who Ray described as being the primary point-of-view for audiences. This weekend, Abigail will be played by Maddie Sparta, a fourth-semester nursing major.
Sparta said she was originally drawn to “The Gilded Throne” due to it bring inspired by “Game of Thrones,” but that she especially enjoyed its queer themes and that it had been written by a student, which provided a unique challenge when it comes to playing Abigail.
“There’s definitely a lot more freedom of choice, but there’s also not, you know?” Sparta said. “The author is sitting right in front of you and it’s like, I don’t want to mess up what this character might mean to them… It’s really hard to reconcile that but I think I’ve done a good job, hopefully.”
Sparta noted that her typical approach to acting involves trying to relate her personal experience to the character. However, Sparta said Abigail is incredibly different from herself, which changed how Sparta views the character.
“I don’t have another person’s performance I can watch. She’s nothing like me,” Sparta said. “I can’t put what I would do in this situation.”
Despite the challenges Abigail has brought, Sparta said she’s been looking forward to this weekend when “The Gilded Throne” will finally premiere.
“I’m really happy to perform,” Sparta said. “I’m finally going to show it off to everyone because I’m really proud of what we’ve done.”
Sparta’s sentiment is one shared with other members of the production, Ray included. Ray noted they’ve specifically been looking forward to the final show, when “The Gilded Throne” will finally end.
“I think there’s a lot of real value in things that expire, and the fact that this is so alive and then will die,” Ray said. “I think that makes it all the more valuable and exciting.”
Page to Stage first began holding auditions in January and February, according to the organization’s Instagram. Since then, the cast, crew and pit of “The Gilded Throne” has been working to bring it to life. Just two and a half months later, Ray will see it conclude.
“This whole play is about endings,” Ray said. “One of the things I mentioned in the director’s note is how tragedies are never complete when they’re on stage because you don’t see the characters pick up the pieces afterward.”
Those interested in seeing the life and death of Ray’s story can see “The Gilded Throne” this weekend at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday or at 7 p.m. on Sunday in the Student Union Theater.
“Look out for the last scene before intermission,” Ray said.