![]() An Arizona native who moved with their family to Ventura County in their early teens, Ragone discovered playwriting while studying at Moorpark College, prior to transferring to UC Santa Barbara. The unusual form of “Night Night, Roger Roger” reflects its pandemic-era roots. She said she was drawn by Ragone’s “mixture of slapstick comedy, farce and realism” and howthe characters express themselves in “profound, poetic ways.” When it made the cut, Fishell, who had directed Ragone in an acting role in “The 25 th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” last year, eagerly signed on. “I heard people talking about it and thought, ‘Why are they talking about my play?’” ![]() ![]() “I had no idea she did that,” Ragone recalled. It was submitted for consideration by a friend of Ragone’s, fellow theater major Trinity Wicklund, who is on the committee that chooses the department’s season - a group composed of faculty, students and staff. This is, to anyone’s knowledge, the first time ever that the UC Santa Barbara Department of Theater and Dance has undertaken a full-scale production of a student’s work. The fact this production exists is somewhat fantastical in itself. “But when I write, a lot of magical realism comes out.” “When I read plays, I’m drawn to absurdism,” Ragone said. There are also some haunting, phantasmagoric elements that remind you of Maurice Sendak.” “It’s not a children’s play, but it’s about that youthful core energy that we either nurture in ourselves, or we don’t. “We want the audience to come in their most comfortable, relaxed clothing, so they experience the play as an unforgettable sleepover.”Īs those sentiments suggest, “Night Night, Roger Roger” is a whimsical play, albeit with “some existential rumbling underneath it,” as Fishell puts it. “There’s a feeling of fun and freedom that permeates the show,” added director Julie Fishell. “The play is cozy and warm it makes you want to snuggle up. “I thought it would create a fun environment,” said playwright Roni Ragone, a UC Santa Barbara undergraduate student. Live theater, not so much.īut if the idea of seeing a play in your PJs appeals to you, you’re in luck: For the opening and closing night performances of the new play “ Night Night, Roger Roger,” running March 3–12 at in the Studio Theater on campus, audiences are encouraged to attend in their flannel jammies - or any other apparel they lounge around in late at night. Many of us are used to watching television in our pajamas. ![]()
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