UA’s Story Behind the Story: Q&As with The Philadelphia Story Cast, Crew

UA’s Story Behind the Story: Q&As with The Philadelphia Story Cast, Crew

Lily DiSilverio rehearses with Matt Gabbard (a senior) who plays Mike Conner in preparation for opening night of “The Philadelphia Story.”

Students from The University of Alabama’s Department of Theatre and Dance will bring to life “The Philadelphia Story” with opening night slated for Valentine’s Day.

Set in 1930s Philadelphia, the romantic comedy follows the privileged daughter of the Lord family who created quite the scandal, divorcing her husband and arranging to remarry. While theatergoers will get to know the characters being portrayed on stage, we’d like to take you behind-the-scenes for a deeper look into the students who helped bring the story to life.

Lily DiSilverio, playing Tracy Lord
Sophomore
Double major in Theatre and Economics

Q: How did you get into theater? 

A: I started acting in middle school because I needed another elective. I knew I had always been interested in characters and exploring other lives in books and movies and games, so I figured I’d pick up a drama class. I loved it then and I’ve only grown to love it more. Halfway through high school, it occurred to me this was something I could do for the rest of my life, and I’ve never looked back.

Q: What would you like to do after graduation? 

A: I plan to pursue acting after graduation. I can’t imagine anything better than getting paid for the privilege of experiencing different lives, circumstances and worlds than my own every day.

Q: What skills do you learn while participating in the varied productions and how do those skills help prepare you for your future career goals?

Lily DiSilverio loves her role as Tracy Lord in “The Philadelphia Story.”

A: Even though I plan to pursue theater, I know the skills I’ve picked up along the way would prove useful in plenty of other areas. Outside of the work ethic, presentation skills and commitment that working on productions encourages, I truly believe working in the theater fosters empathy in an unparalleled way. Plenty of activities can teach you to work hard or to speak in public, but there are very few areas that call you to relate to people outside of your own bubble as openly and honestly as acting does, and I think that’s an invaluable perspective to cultivate.

Q: At the end of this production, how many hours would you have spent working on it?

A: If I’ve done the math right, by the time we open, the company will have put in about 130 hours of work in rehearsal time alone, before even considering the time we’ve spent individually outside of organized rehearsal.

Q: Of all the productions you have been a part of, what was your favorite and why?

A: This is on track to be my favorite of all the productions I’ve ever been a part of. Tracy is such a special character, and I’m so lucky to be working with such a talented and genuinely fun company. “The Philadelphia Story” has involved tons of time and effort, but it has yet to feel like work, and I don’t know what else I could ask for from any production.

“The Philadelphia Story” runs Feb. 14-18 with a 7:30 p.m. showtime and a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Feb. 19 at the Marian Gallaway Theatre. For more info, visit https://theatre.ua.edu/productions/the-philadelphia-story/.

 

 

Contact

Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or kkeaton@ur.ua.edu