This weekend, Augustana College’s Brunner Theatre erupted with excitement as it hosted the striking premiere of “The Prom,” a production that brought energy, emotion and LGBTQ+ joy to the stage.
The show opens with two famous, self-absorbed Broadway stars, Dee Dee Allen and Barry Glickman, facing a crushing review from The New York Times framing them as narcissists. This sends them into an activism redemption journey to gain their fame back. The stars come across the story of a teenage girl named Emma from a conservative Indiana town, who is ridiculed for wanting to attend prom with her girlfriend.
Junior Kaden Micklos, who played Broadway star Barry Glickman, connected deeply with Emma’s story as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. This personal connection inspired him to work hard to convey the message that “it’s okay to be who you are.”
“I auditioned for this specific character because he is honestly just over the top and always giving his 1000 percent in everything he does,” Micklos said. “And I believe that I am the exact same way in my day-to-day life, and it’s just fun because I feel like I’m playing myself in like 30 years.”
“The Prom” tackles compulsory heterosexuality and social conformity in a small community. Sophomore Jensen Stoneking played Alyssa Greene, Emma’s girlfriend, who found herself stuck in the middle of a difficult situation. Alyssa, whose mother is the head of the parent-teacher association, tried to be the perfect daughter for her conservative mother while also struggling to embrace her lesbian identity.
“I think Alyssa, out of most of the characters, has some of the more difficult moments,” Stoneking said. “At the end, she does have a moment where she comes out to her mom in front of everyone, and that moment is definitely one of the most serious moments in the show.”
Sophomore Lydia Benesh, the assistant director of “The Prom,” said she was thrilled to share the play’s success alongside director Shelley Cooper. Beyond raising awareness for important issues, Benesh highlighted the theater department’s commitment to supporting queer joy by partnering with Atlas Collective, a local queer-owned bookstore and coffee shop, for a photoshoot and a gift card raffle.
“Our director, Shelley, wanted to pick a show that showed a lot of queer joy and demonstrated the importance of LGBTQIA+ representation in theater and life and art,” Benesh said. “It brought some of those issues forward in a joyful space, as opposed to a lot of the negativity we’re currently seeing in the news.”
Near the end, Emma takes matters into her own hands and posts a video online to share her true self and call for an inclusive prom despite her school’s lack of funds. At this moment, the stars finally shift from being narcissists to becoming selfless, as they offer what money they have left to support the inclusive prom. The show closes with a vibrant prom where everyone is free to be themselves. Alyssa Greene finally comes out to her mother and the world, dancing under confetti with her true love, Emma.
“The play is a true celebration, full of joy and positivity, making it an incredibly uplifting experience to witness and be a part of,” Benesh said.