“Poltergeists & Dolls” poster SXU Drama
With the way it takes infinite different forms, is art something we can truly define? Shealyn Scott, member of SXU Drama, staff member at the Xavierite, and recent director of “Poltergeists & Dolls,” views art “as a way to reflect life.” She goes on to explain, “You can send a message and say something you think needs to be said, but it can be hidden in the most ridiculous story.” I was able to interview Scott on her most recent story: “Poltergeists & Dolls.”
Saint Xavier University did a one-day production free to students on Friday, Oct. 27 in McGuire Hall. Scott illustrates “Poltergeists & Dolls” as “following two sisters, Wendy and Kora, as they stumble across an abandoned theater and find the ghosts of past performers who never got to finish their shows. Chaos and comedy ensue as the girls plot to help the ghosts find peace and stop the demolition of the theater itself.” As always, the show was done well, with humor enjoyable for all ages and entertainment perfect to set up Halloween weekend.
So, where did it all begin? Scott details her writing inspirations to be “Sylvia Plath, Greta Gerwig, and Carrie Bradshaw from ‘Sex and the City.’” What started “Poltergeists & Dolls” was an idea developed during the spring 2023 semester; Scott thought of a story set in a haunted theater. This ended up becoming a production written in just a few days this past summer. Despite the vision and turnout, Scott originally saw the play as a “passion project” that would not be produced.
When writing the characters, Scott noted traits present from people she knew, celebrity inspirations, and some from herself. When the writing was brought to life, the characters could not have been casted better. Scott adds, “we ended up with a great group of actors that took the characters I wrote and really made them their own.”
Regarding making any changes to the play, Scott describes herself as a perfectionist when it comes to writing. Therefore, it can be hard to point out any major changes. Scott commented on how, “a lot of the show’s themes and relationships would have been much more fleshed out.” The show went on for about an hour, limiting the depth. With this hour, the play was executed incredibly and left the audience satisfied with a fresh story.
With this success, there is a lot of anticipation surrounding what SXU Drama will put out next. As a major figure in the club, Scott is excited for what the future holds.
On behalf of the club, she says they, “want the spring show to really blow people away. It’ll be a collaborative decision made based on discussions with club members about genres they want to explore, tropes they’d like to see, and character types they’d like to play. I probably won’t write the full-length spring production, but nothing’s out of the question yet.”
This was not the first production Scott helped produce and act in. Going into more detail, she explains how, “Last year, I wrote and directed a winter show for the drama club called ‘How the Bear Saved Christmas’ where we had families from the community attend and donate to charity! I also helped write our last year’s Halloween production, a parody cabaret called ‘Screech!, and we really leaned into our club’s comedic talents.”
In the future, Scott hopes to pursue a career related to writing, as it has been a passion she has shown her talent in. In her current free time, she devotes a lot of energy to short stories, poetry, and any other genre sparking creativity. It is what she loves most in the world, but Scott also notes it will not be easy to become a bestselling author right away. However, it is a dream worth pursuing.
Ending on Scott’s mentality, she says, “My motto in life is ‘even if it isn’t perfect, it’ll be over.’” For any person out there uncertain about following their dreams or feeling unsatisfied with their current state, it is important to remember that everything is only temporary, including the mistakes. Even when thinking about “Poltergeists & Dolls,” Scott was not focused on the amount of people there, but rather whether or not they were happy sitting and witnessing the production.
If you want to follow SXU Drama’s latest work or want to get involved, they can be found on TikTok and Instagram @sxudrama.
The Den also has updated events they are involved in, which can also be found on flyers around the halls of campus. You will not want to miss the talent this club possesses and what they put out next!