Getting into character

Three actresses are getting their taste of lead roles in a local college production of John Patrick Shanley’s “Savage in Limbo.” And their director and producer, Melissa R. Randel, believes they’re up for it.

“It’s a really character-driven play, and I felt like the students that we cast were really ready for that challenge,” said Randel, who is co-chair of the Glendale Community College Theatre Arts Department.

The story is about five acquaintances in a New York bar who are questioning the meaning of their lives.

The actors have had to learn a New York Bronx accent while trying to capture the essence of their characters, one of whom is a drunk and another who is highly emotional, Randel said.

The focus is all on the characters and their relationships. All the characters are from a 10-block Italian-American neighborhood and have known one another all their lives, but they aren’t close friends, Randel said. The whole play takes place in a bar, so there are no set changes.

“A lot of the play is about the characters’ struggles within themselves,” she said. “They all want to change in some way, except for Murk the bartender, who doesn’t want to change at all. He likes everything to remain the same.”

Meagon Ligons of Glendale is playing the main character, Denise Savage.

“I love how brave Denise Savage is, and all the characters find traditional solutions to their need for change and Savage continues to search,” Randel said. “She’s willing to fight for what she wants, even though she doesn’t know what she wants. I just admire that. I admire people who don’t settle.”

Ligons is doing a beautiful job with the part, Randel said.

The first time Randel directed Ligons, she was cast as a lady in waiting in the 2005 production of “Romeo and Juliet.” She’s been doing small roles or ensemble roles since.

“She takes every bit of direction I give her and goes home and digests it and brings in something new,” Randel said. “She’s a brave actress. She’s a joy to work with, diligent, prepared and on time, positive.”

Ligons has been able to take what she’s learned over the two years she’s been in acting classes at the college and finally apply it to a character on stage, she said.