Students direct military-themed play, 'The Last American Jackrabbit'

Eastern held two showings of "The Last American Jackrabbit" on Nov. 1, an original play directed and written by students Xsyanni Jackson and Kane Waggoner. The only student-made performance of the fall 2024 semester sold out its evening show and scheduled a matinee performance to accommodate its large audience. Both were held at the Delmonte Bernstein Studio Theater.

The play follows the story of Ray, a troubled veteran, who acts as a mentor to Charlie, a young man eager to enlist in the fight against the Germans at the dawn of World War II. The story follows their evolving relationship and thoroughly explores the effects of war and trauma on veterans.

According to Jackson, a senior majoring in theatre, characters were designed to be "a bit flawed, but they are trying their best to pull through for themselves and the people around them."

She stressed that "the events of the play aren't stuck in time. ... It may have been set in the 1940s, but PTSD, the wellbeing of soldiers and veterans, homophobia and domestic violence are still problems we are dealing with today." Along with directing "The Last American Jackrabbit," Jackson is the president of the Natural Hair Club as well as the secretary and treasurer for the Drama Society.

"In the show, each character has an unhealthy form of emotional and social release," said Waggoner. The play's intention was to "force the audience to question how they deal with their own stresses or problems in life."

Waggoner continued: "After watching it, I think the show returned to the roots that stemmed from why I started writing it in the first place, which was analyzing mentorship, abuse, trauma, racial politics and relationship dynamics." Waggoner is a senior majoring in both theatre and communication.

The production process spanned more than a year. Waggoner reflected on the accomplishment of seeing his vision performed live. "Getting to see a story that I thought up be performed in a space that I devised was a unique experience," he said.

Jackson and Waggoner enlisted the help of various student actors, stage technicians and artists to help bring the story to life. "The most memorable part of working on this show was at the beginning of every rehearsal, our director would ask us a 'question of the day,'" said Karynn Hardy, who played Ray. "Instead of jumping right into the dirty work, we got to know each other a little better first. … It was refreshing."

Connor Meyer, a first-year student who played Charlie, stepped into the role after another actor withdrew from the play, which only gave Meyer a few weeks to learn his character. He expressed gratitude for the support he received. "Xsyanni was extremely helpful throughout the entire process, from pitching ideas to her directing style," he said.

"The Last American Jackrabbit" brought a thought-provoking performance to the stage while highlighting the skilled and creative students of Eastern's Communication, Film and Theatre Department. The department's fall 2024 performance schedule includes one more show, "Eurydice," which will hold five showings from Dec. 5-8.