Space to ‘Fill’
Ohio Wesleyan to Present Four Performances of Over-the-Top Comedy Oct. 27-30
DELAWARE, Ohio – Joni is single, lost, and moving a mile a minute. Joni must never be alone. After her five-year relationship ends, Joni must redefine her identity – and fast.
Through strangers and friends, cheese plates, and spotlights, she embarks on a madcap journey to carve out a space for herself in a world that won’t quite let her.
Ohio Wesleyan University’s Department of Performing Arts will present four free performances of Steph Del Rosso’s “Fill Fill Fill Fill Fill Fill Fill” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27, 28, and 29, and at 2 p.m. Oct. 30 on the Main Stage of Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware.
The comedy was a semi-finalist in the National Playwrights' Conference, Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, in 2017, and debuted nationally in 2018. In reviewing the production, New York Theater called Del Rosso’s creation “an often fun, over-the-top comedy … about the wincing aftermath of the breakup. The title is meant to describe what Joni tries to do after being dumped – fill the sudden holes in her life.”
Directed by Ohio Wesleyan instructor Bradford Sadler, “Fill Fill Fill Fill Fill Fill Fill” explores how we see and value women – and how we don’t. It contains mature themes and is not appropriate for children. Justin A. Miller serves as lights and projection designer and as technical director, and Jaylene Jennings serves as costume designer.
“This play appeals to me because it uses bold theatrical techniques to dramatize something that most of us go through, a very bad breakup,” said Sadler, a 2005 OWU graduate and professional director and performer. “It also employs satire to force us to ponder something that we all should think about, namely how exactly we view and treat women as a society, and how the media we watch reinforces some troubling notions.”
Eight Ohio Wesleyan students are performing in the play. The students, their hometowns, and their roles are:
- Alex Dolph of Middletown, Ohio, as Joni.
- Jude Campbell of Blissfield, Michigan, as Noah.
- Evan Van Deusen of Chattanooga, Tennessee, as Todd.
- Millie Rocco of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, as Lisa.
- Owen Rehak of Cleveland, Ohio, as Ray.
- Elizabeth Sumoza of Chicago, Illinois, as Kate.
- Cody Lunder of Columbus, Ohio, as Doug.
- Kaya Ferrell of Delaware, Ohio, as Young Joni.
Six OWU students are filling key production jobs. Their names, hometowns, and responsibilities are:
- Dyna Bresson of Columbus, Ohio, assistant director.
- Isabelle Tinti-Kane of Marblehead, MA, stage manager.
- Sydney Lewis of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, assistant stage manager.
- Pedro Oliveira Figueiredo of Salvador, Brazil, assistant stage manager.
- Eric Burns of Pine Hill, New Jersey, technical assistant.
- Daniel Smith of Columbus, Ohio, assistant costume designer.
Tickets for “Fill Fill Fill Fill Fill Fill Fill” are free for everyone, but reservations are required by visiting owu.edu/PerformingArts beginning two weeks before the show debuts. For questions, call the box office at (740) 368-3855.
For more information about the play, OWU’s 2022-2023 performance schedule, or studying theatre and dance at Ohio Wesleyan, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “Best Colleges” lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at www.owu.edu.