Previews: IN THE WINTER at TheStudio@620

Coming to the stage on May 26 and 27 at TheStudio@620 is a new play written, co-directed, and featured in the title role is 18-year-old Land O' Lakes High School senior Kennedy Engasser. Entitled In the Winter, the play tells lessons about life, love, and acceptance.

Co-directed by Brooke Enfinger, assist-directed and stage managed by Jake Despenas, with Shane Ganga as a stagehand, In the Winter features Engasser (Winter), Brady Finch (Kody), Analisa Martin (April), and Nolyn McElaney (Dawn).

No one in the cast or crew is over 19 years old. At just eighteen, this is Engasser's second self-produced production, the first being sold-out one-act short plays in July 2022, also showcased at TheStudio@620. The playwright has been performing as a spoken-word artist for years, working with Heard Em Say, touring with Brave New Voices, and also winning Creative Loafing's runner-up for Best Spoken-Word Artist in Tampa.

Words were a coping mechanism for difficult times in her life. "When things would get too much, I'd just write everything down and make poems."

Her love of writing and performing brought her to live theatre and, eventually, playwriting.

With themes of generational trauma and healing from parental abuse, Engasser's In the Winter examines Winter's relationship with her abusive mother.

"Winter is working on a café that she opened up, and she is focused on trying to make the café the best that it possibly can be, but she has a lot of undealt trauma from her childhood due to her mom and her mom just recently had a stroke," she explained.

Winter must face her feelings as her mom lies dying and find a way to work through the abuse she endured.

Engasser explained that the overall theme is also her favorite line in the play: "The difference between sadness and sorrow is acceptance."

"I think the play says a lot about the reality of loving people and taking care of yourself, but sometimes we have these expectations that love or business success will make us happy, but we don't realize what we are missing along the way. The only actual way to be happy is to accept things the way they are and to live your life in the moment. I hope people in the audience will be able to resonate with this message and walk out of the theatre with a new perspective on their lives. Anyone who has ever struggled with accepting their lives and wanting to become more than what they are should come to see the show," she said. "Honestly, everyone should come to see it. I think that there are great messages in it. I want people to see who they are as a person is enough, even if their circumstances have been bad to them. I want them to see that forgiveness is possible and that sometimes romantic love isn't all you need to fix your life. What you really need to live a good life ultimately is to accept yourself and your circumstances and be happy with what you have."

Engasser said it is essential for younger people to have representation in theatre leadership. She is excited that TheStudio@620 trusts the voices of its younger talent.

"I think people sometimes shove youth to the side. It's important to show everyone that we are artists too, we have voices too, that our thoughts and feelings matter, and what we have to say is valuable. I think it's important for people to know that and get to see it."

In the Winter is May 26 and 27 at 8 pm at TheStudio@620. Learn more and buy tickets at https://thestudioat620.org/events/in-the-winter-by-kennedy-engasser/

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