Hey there! This is Jessie Swiech and I’m playing Hattie in ‘The Women of Lockerbie.’ Whenever you’re cast in a show (or work on one in any capacity), you always hope that you will be working with a really good group of people. It’s especially important if you’re working on a show which deals with such heavy subject matter as ‘Lockerbie’ does. As an actor, you not only have to do hours of research about the events surrounding the disaster, but also spend a lot of time in the headspace of the people who went through the event. …It can be rough. Really rough. But that, my friends, is where we got lucky. No – luck probably didn’t have much to do with it, actually. Let’s just say that we are very, very fortunate. The cast, production team, director and designers all seemed to click almost immediately. Being surrounded by the kind of trust and mutual respect which we have built up makes an absolute world of difference. The cast is not just a group of people who are collaborating on a play. We became – in a very short period of time – a family. If she just nails a moment, we’ll give her a huge, “WOW! That was awesome!” when we get backstage. If he forgets the blocking and goes back to an old pattern, we’ll adjust and laugh about it later. If we need a pep talk before we go onstage, we’ll boost each other up. If I work and work on my monologue until it really gets to me and I just start to sob, I suddenly will find myself in the middle of a cast sandwich while someone softly sings “We Go Together” from ‘Grease’ as a ballad until I laugh. (…Hypothetically speaking…) This play is such an ensemble piece, that I cannot imagine what it would be like trying to perform it any other way. I’d like to think that in some small way, we’re embodying one of the messages of the show. Telling of the story of an act of hate turning into an act of love, has made us – the actors, the stage managers, the assistant director, the director – into a family. I will never forget this show or the wonderful memories it has given me. The experience of working with a group of insanely talented, yet humble individuals has been almost an awe-inspiring one. Thank you everyone. You are all fabulous and I cannot wait to begin the final stretch together. Into the breach, my friends! It’s almost show time!
