The Badgering Begins Tonight for Beloit Memorial Theatre

By Autumn Cox

News Feature Editor

November 2022

Men fighting for their country, women fighting for equality. Thursday through Saturday, November 10 through 13, our school will be putting on a production of Badger by Don Zolidis.

It tells the story of women taking the place of men as factory workers during World War 2, Irene, Barbra, Grace, Rose, and Elenor take on systemic sexism, heartbreak, and human connection. Even when handling heavy topics, Badger will still find a way to make you laugh. Greg Wallendal has a marvelous group of students, all of them carefully selected and fitting to their roles.

A long-time member of the performing arts community, senior Olivia Mills-Brown, the actor behind Mary, a sassy and hyper-realistic factory worker, said, “I try to embrace my character as much as possible.”

The cast and crew have really put in the work to bring the story to life with a vibrant set and a beautiful performance. The focus is on Irene, a sassy, intelligent, strong-headed woman whose main focus is closing the pay wage gap in the factory.

The actor behind Irene is senior Abby Grenawalt, who said, “I am a natural leader in the things I do, and I feel like Irene reflects that.”

This year, the program welcomed a new stage manager after the previous one graduated. Starting with a production like Badger, with intricate characters and a complex storyline, posed some challenges.

“It's a heavy job,” said the program’s freshman stage manager, Alianna Nogal. “It’s fun though. I love being able to make connections with the characters and cast alike.”

Badger being a hefty play, averaging about two hours, the cast had a lot to learn about the real timeline and the character’s background stories. “Getting to read about all the different characters I could go out for and learning the story was easily one of the best parts,” said junior Alex Schulte, another friendly face of the theater department.

Badger is a must-see. With student tickets priced at only five dollars, you can't miss it.