Last Thursday, March 22, a talented troupe of Villanova women put their best-acting foot forward for a new show-stopping production for the Communication Department, Between Girls… Absent & Present. The show blends comedy, relatability and most of all, heart, in a story about two generations of trios of female college friends: Jo, Deirdre and Laura in 1992 and their daughters, Jillian, Deanna and Lindsay, in 2024. Audience members, ranging from University students to community seniors, laughed until they cried and engaged in moments of self-reflection throughout the course of the show.
The show was compiled and directed by Dr. Heidi M. Rose, Ph.D., Professor of Performance Studies. She has previously created and served as an advisor and director for numerous Villanova shows, such as capstone performances, ensemble performances, literary adaptations, original stories and more. The projects she has written and helped to produce have covered various topics, most notably racial and sexual issues.
“We wanted to create a cozy, intimate, conversational atmosphere—something that could feel like a college apartment or family room,” Rose said of the story’s production techniques.
Three lamps and a couple of pieces of furniture, such as couches and a drawer, made up the setting, contributing to a relaxed, college room-like feel.
The show was split into multiple segments, each one depicting a new episode in the lives of its characters. The different segments explored love, sexuality and dreams.
According to Rose, her biggest inspiration to create the piece was the tragic loss of her cousin Amy Silberman to celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve. With Between Girls… Absent & Present, Rose not only celebrates the relationships between mothers, daughters and women of all ages but also honors the memory of her cousin and her commitment to the arts.
“I hope audiences feel the power of girlfriends, the support and joy of women’s friendships,” Rose said.
She also hopes that the show serves as a remedy for anyone dealing with grief over lost loved ones. She wants to enable them to find ways to keep those people and their memory close in any way they can.
So, ladies, next time you hang out with one of your girlfriends, hug them close. If there is one thing Between Girls… Absent & Present teaches, it is that college is a place where you make relationships meant to last forever.
