Strutting into PIPPIN Rehearsal

The process of NOT breaking a leg
Leading Player Shoes

Kyra Rahn will potray the Leading Player in PIPPIN, presented by the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance February 28 - March 10. The process of creating a musical has been an ambitious and rewarding one from including Twin Cities director and choreographer, Joe Chvala, to providing design opportunites to MFA students such as scenic and costume designer, Stacey Palmer.

Kyra sat down for a brief interview with Marketing Associate, Gracie Stockton, about her upcoming role and some heartstopping heels she commands on the stage.

Gracie: So Kyra, tell me about these shoes!

Kyra: So I started with the shoes really early on in rehearsal which helped a ton. The first two days were real painful I would go home and take my shoes off, my regular shoes off, and my feet would just tingle for a little bit.

G: Kind of like going en pointe almost?

K: Yeah, yeah, exactly. But I did a ton of ankle strengthening exercises in prep when I learned that I was going to be wearing them and that has helped a ton, a ton, a ton. So now I can just throw ‘em on and feel fine after doing a show.

G: That’s impressive, those are some high shoes. 

K: They’re awesome. There’s been some close calls with slipping but I feel like I’ve somehow like trained my ankles like a soccer player where they like roll and you ‘ope, okay, alright’ like on to the next thing… Knock on wood. No accidents.

G: What is one thing you’ve taken away from this process so far?

K: Oh my gosh. This room of people is so incredible. It feels so much like home really, there’s so much creativity and problem-solving going on here and it’s so incredible what everyone is putting together… we’re all in the same boat and we’re all on the same team and it’s just been an awesome, awesome process.

G: What’s one thing you’re really excited for the audience to see, without giving away too many secrets?

K: Oooo, I’m so pumped for them to really, this story is so interesting. And I think it’s so relatable for especially college students. This idea of trying to find who you are in life, and what is life, and how does it work, and we as this troupe try to show Pippin the world but it’s a little jaded which I think is really interesting, I’ve been learning a lot about our world for sure.
 

PIPPIN runs February 28 - March 10, 2019 in the Stoll Thrust Theatre in Rarig Center. For tickets please visit z.umn.edu/PIPPIN or call (612) 624-2345.
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