Actors Emma Koopman and Guido Sol in a scene of Our Street (Onze Straat), during rehearsal in Ceres’ bar room. Photo Stijn Schreven The play Our Street is to be performed in the Belmonte Arboretum from 10 to 12 June. The play is performed by WSTV Pierrot et Colombine, the drama group of the student association Ceres. The play centres on loneliness, a hot topic for students since the covid crisis and subsequent lockdowns. Resource attended a rehearsal.
It is a Sunday evening at the end of May, and it is the second to last rehearsal. After some small talk about the weekend, the WSTV Pierrot et Colombine actors split up to rehearse in pairs in the Ceres bar room. The play Our Street is about four households in a single apartment building. One family with an absent father and overworked mother, a single mother of an adolescent daughter, a lonely person in their thirties and a widow with dementia. The residents struggle with profound but familiar issues, but in their daily interaction, they uphold the image of success. ‘Everyone wears a mask in the outside world’, director Belle Smeets says.
Superficial
In December of last year, in the middle of the last lockdown, the nine actors began working on the play. ‘The first few rehearsals took place online, which was far from motivating’, says Emma Koopman (Nutrition and Health). ‘Fortunately, we were soon able to rehearse face to face.’ She plays the role of fourteen-year-old Nina. Her co-star Guido Sol (Agrotechnology) plays the lonely thirty-something Christian. Koopman considers the play somewhat of a tragedy. ‘The characters meet each other frequently but barely know one another.’ Something that rings true for her own life as well: ‘you are often busy, and most contacts remain superficial.’
The characters meet each other frequently but barely know one another
Emma Koopman
Sol’s character is lonely. Something Sol has experienced first-hand. ‘My ex studied in a different city. During the covid pandemic, she followed all her classes online while I was still following classes on the campus. That was difficult for her.’ Koopman thinks many students have experienced loneliness: ‘It is a grave issue. In the play, there is also a lonely protagonist, but the issue is barely discussed. I hope this will prompt people to reflect.’
The art of seduction
Koopmans feels that the taboo on loneliness among students has decreased due to corona. ‘So many people have experienced it; that makes it easier to discuss. But that loneliness has not magically disappeared now that covid is gone.’ Sol hopes that the play will be appreciated by the audience: ‘It is a beautiful piece, and it is allowed to be sad as well.’ Koopman says there is also sufficient humour in the play.
It is a beautiful piece, and it is allowed to be sad as well
The funny parts are mostly related to the protagonist Tom, a fifteen-year-old adolescent who cares about nothing except his neighbour Naomi. Stijn Timmer (Food Technology) plays the part of Tom. His character makes several attempts to seduce Naomi. ‘Tom tries to impress her by striking a cool pose when he talks to her, which looks absolutely ridiculous.’ Tom’s little sister also contributes to adding some fun. ‘She always manages to enter the room at the wrong moment. When he is “helping himself” in bed, for example, or when he is flirting with Naomi.’ Timmer is a first-year student and loves theatre. ‘I can really get rid of some bottled up energy, and it is a tight-knit group of friends. If you had told me in September that I would have such an excellent relationship with senior students, I would not have believed you. But it feels like family.’
Our Street
WSTV Pierrot et Colombine performs the play “Our Street” in the Belmonte Arboretum on 10, 11, and 12 June. It is a 360-degree play: the audience surrounds the stage. Check out the WSTV website for further details
