Michael Ducayne received an award from the Theater Association of New York State (TANYS) for his portrayal of Jonas in the Auburn Players production of The Giver.
When adjudicator Pam Rapoza gave her comments, she said “Michael gave a thoughtful performance as Jonas, that allowed us to think and follow his story in a touching way.”
The story of “The Giver” is seen through the eyes of Jonas, as he takes on training with the current Giver, played by Geoffrey Howard, and prepares to become the new Receiver of Memories. As part of his training, Jonas receives a succession of memories that generate an elation of feeling by seeing the world in color and feeling emotion – which are completely new to his life experiences. But on the flip side, he has to also experience the horrific memories like death, loss and warfare.
Before his performance, Michael reflected on the difficulty of the role. “Jonas has never felt love, sadness or pain. I have to convince the audience that these are the first time that I have ever felt any of these emotions.”
Also receiving an award was the production staff for their overall impact. According to Rapozza, “The design team for the Giver had a fully realized concept that was executed beautifully from set, to lights, to sound.”
The Auburn Players has each one of its show adjudicated by the TANYS. The adjudication process is a change for our actors and production staff to continue to learn and grow as they get authentic feedback from theater professionals outside the organization.
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