This article was originally published prior to June 2, 2013. Due to a change in the content management systems, the initial publication date in not available. 

If the theme of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” could be summed up in one word, it would be mendacity.

Sophomores Ali Watson and Courtney West both said the focus of this play is lies and lying.

Big Daddy is dying, and his two sons, Brick and Gooper, and their families are fighting over who will get his farm when he dies.

Both families feel they deserve the farm, and this leads to lies and fighting.

Watson and West said when something bothers people and they don’t talk about it and just cover it up with lies, it messes up family relationships, like in the play.

“Things can only be covered up for so long,” West said.

West played the role of Big Mama. She said for Big Mama, everyone’s business is her business.

“She’s a mom. She wants what’s best for everyone,” West said.

West really enjoyed getting to play Big Mama because she was a flamboyant character, full of life.

But at the same time, she has real reactions of being upset, like when she finds out her husband Big Daddy, played by junior Josh Morgan, is dying.

“I get the best of both worlds with her,” West said.

Watson played Mae, sister-in-law to Maggie and Brick. Mae and her husband think they should inherit Big Daddy’s farm because, unlike Maggie and Brick, they have children. Watson had to work on being meaner for the role of Mae but really enjoyed getting to play her.

“I would play that role again if asked,” she said.

Junior Libby Kmiec played the role of Maggie. Big Daddy really wants to give the farm to her and Brick, but they don’t have any kids and are not in a happy marriage.

Kmiec said Maggie’s goals are to fix things with Brick, to get him to stop drinking and to help get his father’s farm.

“Brick is incapable of doing this, so she finally takes over for him,” Kmiec said.

This was Kmiec’s first lead role, and she said it was a big one to take on, but she had fun with it.

West, Watson and Kmiec all said that overall, the play went very well.

West said the performances showed how well they prepared. She said she spent about 66 hours rehearsing over the past three weeks, and all cast members spent anywhere from 50 to 70 hours rehearsing.

Watson said everyone’s heard or knows a little something about this play, so she wanted to do it justice since it’s so famous.

Kmiec is very proud of how well it went, and she said she got a lot of good feedback from several students and professors, saying they enjoyed the play.

Freshman Laura Snider’s favorite part of the play was when Maggie and Brick’s nieces and nephews came in their room after Brick tried to hit Maggie.

They asked him why he was on the floor, and he said he tried to kill their aunt, and he fell.

“It was a good production by all involved,” Snider said.