On Jan. 31 at the University of Iowa’s Theatre Building, the audience was taken back to the 1940s, as the play “Day Fades Into Night Fades Into Day” made its premiere.
Written by UI student Bridget Dieden, the play follows a couple struggling to conceive a child a few years after their daughter’s death. But it comes with a slight twist: The mother resurrected their daughter, Jillian, as a ghost without the father’s knowledge.
When the couple hires a new maid with a daughter about the same age as Jillian, the daughter discovers her ghost in the playroom, and the pair become friends.
While the play may sound like it has ominous undertones, it covers the topic of grief in a grounded way. The original concept for the play was going to be more on the scary side, as it was Dieden’s workshop piece that was due on Halloween during her sophomore year.
“I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll do something with some kind of ghost in it to match the holiday,’” Dieden said.
This is where her concept of the ghost daughter came from. The story took a turn when she decided to create a grief arc, as it is a storyline she always enjoys.
“I just like grieving arcs a lot. I just love stories that are really sad but hopeful in general, kind of like finding hope amidst the darkness,” Dieden said.
Between being busy with her classes and navigating the logistics that come with planning a play, Dieden does not seem to have many problems with a packed schedule. While many might crumble under the pressure of being spread out, Dieden finds it better to stay busy.
“It helps that I love being busy,” Dieden said. “Standing still is what freaks me out.”
With the help of her desk job at Hancher Auditorium, she manages to stay on top of her assignments and go through the motions of being part of a play production. As it is a student-led project, Dieden, the stage manager, and the director spent several hours figuring out all the little details behind the scenes.
With budgeting, props, and costumes, the three figured out everything that went into the show. Dieden outlined how they have spent hours in meetings so they can schedule everything and keep up with their budgeting requirements.
Originally starting as an English and Creative Writing major, Dieden realized she wanted to rejoin the theater scene. It was something she had done during high school, but only as an actor.
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“I loved writing, so I figured, ‘Oh, playwriting, perfect. It’s the perfect marriage of those two things’,” Dieden said. “Once I had created this show and fallen in love with some of the characters, so many people helped me. So many people told me to keep going.”
Sara Alvidrez, the director, and Vivian Bonde, the stage manager, are a major part of the team that has helped Dieden throughout this process. There were many challenges along the way, especially with winter break forcing them all to pause rehearsals.
“Honestly, the actors took it so well and, of course, I, Bridget, and our stage manager kept in touch the entirety of break,” Alvidrez said. “The play was in such good hands, so it’s been a great process.”
Alvidrez and Bonde, both UI students as well, said they have thoroughly enjoyed their experiences while working on the play. Bonde found herself sad to let go of the project as the performances came to an end because of all the fun they had. “I have never worked with such an incredibly compatible team,” Bonde said. “I think [Dieden] herself just brings an energy into the room that makes it so easy to bring our collaborators together, actors together, our team together.”
Between the three of them and their cast, the play went wonderfully. With three shows, the hard work they all put into it was portrayed through the performances.
“Now I’ve had, for the past month and a half, a team of incredible people that have been helping me through this whole process. Without [them], I would be totally lost,” Dieden said.