Sunny as Spritle

The character of "Spritle" was the only one that I conceived and wrote after returning to Pearson. Originally, the Jimmy character's descent into the dreamlike realm of the second act featured a different progression... after meeting sunny, however, I saw a preexisting character too unique to keep from the story and process. Thus, I wrote the spritle character into the narrative rather quickly, and Sunny's role in Chasing the Wasp came to be.

In her mind, Sunny is certainly a star...and her attitude and work ethic both usually reflect this. I say she is a star because she is extremely hard-working. She put such a level of diligence into the memorization of her lines and comprehension of the script that I was awestruck by the time I finally saw her perform (her first rehearsal was scheduled roughly two weeks into the rehearsal process, as the second act was rehearsed second), after her steady barrage of questions and requests for insight and guidance. However, she is also rather tempestuous, and several rehearsals reflected this short scenario:

Me: Sunny... Sunny? Does anyone know where Sunny is?

A beat

Castmember: She's in the lobby crying.

Me: Why?

A beat

Castmember: She says she's mad at you.

Me: Why?

A beat 

Castmember: She doesn't know.

During notes, she would often sit and read a book, ignoring the things I would say directly to her. Only after I demanded that she remove her ear-buds and listen to my criticisms would she frown, pretend to cry, and say that I didn't respect her.

It was often both difficult and positively challenging to direct her. It really felt like I was directing an unruly starlet preoccupied with her media spotlight... but ultimately, I'm very pleased with the casting choice, and am confident that her presence in the show added both a truth and a point of connection for the audience that might not have been achieved otherwise.