Centerstage with: Abbey Pardue, of HSU's 'Dead Man's Cell Phone'
You are: a freshman from Frenship with a double major in theater education and Christian studies.
We've seen you before in: She was in a director's cut show, "Eurydice," in the fall, as well as taking the reporter's role in "A Divine Kerfuffle." In high school, she was in "lots of different shows," she said, starting in seventh grade. However, two big shows - "Little Women" and "Into the Woods" - were not performed due to COVID-19. She also was an ensemble member in "Beauty and the Beast" and "Les Miserables" and also in "Jeckyl and Hyde," suggesting Frenship has an ambitious theater program.
Role in "Dead Man's Cell Phone": She is Jean, who hears a man's phone ringing in a cafe. He's not answering. After she goes over to him and answers the phone, she realizes he is dead. This is not a whodunit. The man likely died of natural causes. The story is about the woman's relationship with the people she talks to on the phone and then meets. "She takes his phone and goes on this fun journey of meeting his loved ones and trying to comfort them... and acting like she knew him," said Pardue, who admitted that upon her first reading of the script, she tagged Jean as a villain. "Getting into the context of the show, I realized that wasn't the case at all. While her methods aren't super morally correct, she really does bring comfort to all of his loved ones. You don't really see her as a villain at all. She's more like a little guardian angel." Pardue said not a lot of information is given about Jean other than she works at a Holocaust museum; she just happens to be seated at the next table. "She never mentions any family or any friends," Pardue said. "We assume from that she's kind of a loner. She's looking for a purpose or something to do. She feels like she has to do something" in this situation, she said. "She's very kind and very gentle. She tries to please the people she comes in contact with."
What you've learned about yourself playing this character: Though she has had lead roles, "I've never been the person who has their journey followed through the show," Pardue said. "I've learned to dive into a character and build those relationships with the other characters. "It's a story about loss and love but it doesn't feel like it's taken too seriously," she said. Some elements of the show come across as realistic, and others don't, she said. That's the playwright's style, something she has studied in this show. The central cast is only six, with four in the ensemble - all with distinct personalities, she said. There are many one-on-one scenes, she said. "Lots of learning about connection."
What the audience will get out of this production: "I don't know what to expect from the audience," she said. "Some may think like I originally did that she really lied to these people that she really knew him. But I think they will walk away remembering how important it is to make connections with people who you don't know, Branching out of your comfort zone. There's a lot in the show that things aren't always what they seem. I know that's a cliche, but I feel they will walk away sensing that."
What's next for you: She already has been cast for the late March production of "Spitfire Grill." She does not currently have theater plans for the summer. "I usually am very busy," she said.
Greg Jaklewicz is editor of the Abilene Reporter-News and general columnist. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.
If You Go
What: "Dead Man's Cell Phone," first Hardin-Simmons University production of 2023
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Van Ellis Theatre, HSU campus
Tickets: $10 general admission; $5 for students, seniors, alumni and military; free for HSU faculty, staff and students
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Centerstage with: Abbey Pardue, of HSU's 'Dead Man's Cell Phone'
