By
Lisa Lucas
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Moving tale of cancer victim opens tonight at Arizona Theatre
One play, one writer, one chance.
"Wit," the first and only play written by kindergarten teacher Margaret Edson, and winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for drama, opens tonight at the Arizona Theatre Company, 330 S. Scott Ave.
A compelling story about Dr. Vivian Bearing's battle with ovarian cancer, "Wit" takes the art of drama to a new level, said Tate Allen, University of Arizona fine arts alumni and a chorus member.
"If you don't like going to the theater, or you don't see a lot of theater, I think this is a good show to see," Allen said. "It has a lot of elements of good theater - it's a very emotional ride for the audience to go on."
Jennifer Fisk-Wilkin, UA fine arts alumna and chorus member in "Wit," said the show depicts how the complexities of life become simple as one nears death.
"We go through life a lot thinking about how to change, and everything's very selfish in a certain sense," she said. "When you're coming closer to death and you know it's coming and it's inevitable, you start to realize the real humanity of your life and I really think that's the main message."
Both actors agreed "Wit" not only depicts the physical strains and obstacles presented when one is faced with death, but it also portrays the way in which humans cope with the inevitable.
"I don't think you can sit through this play or read it or work on it and not take a look at yourself and kind of question the things you've done or who you want to be," Allen said.
Fisk-Wilkin agreed, describing the show as "poetry about life and death" allowing the audience to look at its own mortality and think about growth as a person.
She added those who have seen the show are compelled to ask themselves, "How many lives have I touched?"
Samantha Wyer, director of "Wit" and adjunct professor in the theater arts department, played an integral part in setting up the roles of chorus members Allen and Fisk-Wilkin.
Both cast members were introduced to the show through Wyer after traveling with her to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.
"I went to the general ATC audition and Samantha told me that she wanted me to audition for 'Wit,' so I did," Allen said. "Right out of college - professional theater. I didn't think I'd be that lucky."
The actors' roles as chorus members include four minor parts as lab technicians, medical fellows, students and members of code/recitation teams.
"We help move the main character along," Allen said.
Both actors agreed being members of the "Wit" cast has been an incredible experience.
"Everyone's been extremely professional," Fisk-Wilkin said.
The portrayal of humanity in the show seems to have extended outside of the production. Allen said that the members of the cast were "very kind and very open, gracious and giving to others, not only within the cast and company, but outside, and to the community."
"('Wit' is) a play where you laugh and you cry and get to think about a lot of things," he said. "(You'll) feel overwhelmed when you leave the theater."
