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MU Theatre Student Stars as Sister Mary McGee in Blood Sisters

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An Interview with current Miami University student Charlotte Snee who plays Sister Mary McGee in Blood Sisters by Theatre 200 marketing practicum student Stidham Worley. 

 

How would you describe the character of Sister Mary McGee?

Mary is passionate and analytical – an activist! She’s grounded & stern. I don’t think “harsh” is the right word, but she’s… She cares so deeply. She’s caring, but not in the way that we typically see it.

How did you build an understanding of the circumstances of these women? (What was it like connecting yourself to Mary?)

We have this understanding of religion, but not all from a Catholic point of view. We learned things like, this is what it’s like going to a Catholic mass. We learned the proper way to cross ourselves. It was interesting to come at it with a baseline knowledge of the spirituality of the show – and then take it a little deeper, and start to uncover what spirituality means to these three women. They’re all nuns, and that is, like, a lifetime commitment. That is not just a summer job, it’s your life. It’s been very interesting to think about what being a nun means to each of them.

What was it like learning about the actual events that inspired this play?

Crazy. We timed the show, it’s less than 20 minutes – it feels like an hour every time we do a run because there’s just so much happening. It’s this big emotional journey. And, all of the sentences the women are given at the end of the show were the actual sentences that the judge delivered to them after this act of protest. And the reason they were convicted so harshly for what they did is that they were labeled as terrorists and therefore couldn’t claim their right to protest. They had a history of activism. This wasn’t a single, isolated event; they’d been to protests, they’d been doing this for a while. They sang hymns and then waited for the police to come get them. They fully knew what they were doing. 

I remember I told my dad what the show was about and he said, “I remember when that happened.” It was a national news story – “Oh my God, you’re sending three nuns to jail!”  It’s incredible, what they did.

What’s been your favorite part of working on this show?

I love that it’s all women. Our director, our stage manager, all the actors… It’s such a treat to be in that rehearsal room every night and feed off of the energy we all give each other – to work on a production that’s led by a team of awesome women – for a show that’s about some really awesome women! It’s so cool to be a part of that. We have an amazing group working on this, and now that it’s all coming together, it hasn’t felt like it’s been only two weeks. It feels like it’s been a full rehearsal process, and I think that’s due mostly in part to the amazing team we have. We’ve got a lot done and I’m so proud. Delaney has been so amazing working with us. They are all really inspiring, quite honestly.

Blood Sisters Director's Note:

Everyone has something they believe in, a cause that lights a fire under them and forces them to think about their values. At times, this fire will even drive them to take action. This story is about that fire burning within these nuns. They stood up for what they believed was right. They took matters into their own hands and took action against injustice. Yes, they are going to serve time and yes, they got charged with a crime, but that did not stop them, instead, it continued to burn the fire.

Through this beautiful piece, we see these brave women wrestle with the consequences of their actions and their “need” for mercy, but we never see them falter or regret because sometimes the fire needs to be bigger and stronger despite the repercussions on individuals. Though the badass women ask for mercy in the beginning, they soon realize that they do not require mercy from the judge and rather seek validation for their actions from something greater. Their fear of punishment is valid, human, and raw but so is the need for justice. In the words of playwright Robin Rice, “In that place where mercy and justice meet, there isn’t always a handshake.” 

 

Blood Sisters was live acted on stage at the Gates-Abegglen Theatre and live-streamed on the College of Creative Arts Youtube Channel on Friday, September 11, 7:30 p.m. The recording will remain on the site through September 18.