Tracks Review By: Brett Briggeman

The Hardin-Simmons University (HSU) Department of Theatre will participate in a student-led theatre production process and series known as Director’s Cut.

The purpose of the series is to allow students to have the opportunity to practice and demonstrate skills learned in class. As student-led productions, these shows go beyond classwork but are not as complex or as fully realized as a mainstage production. 

The most recent addition to the Director’s Cut Series is Tracks, written by Peter Tarsi and directed by Dayna Steyn, a senior theatre education major from Baytown. The show was performed on Mar. 20 and 21 in Van Ellis. 

When asked about her favorite part of working on the show, she pointed back to her cast and crew and getting to see them experience the story of Tracks for themselves. 

“My favorite part has been getting to collaborate so closely with the cast and watching them discover the story for themselves,” Steyn said. “Tracks is such an abstract and emotional piece, so every rehearsal felt like we were uncovering something new. As a director, it’s been really meaningful to guide that process while also learning when to step back and let the actors bring their own experiences into the work.”

Steyn chose Tracks for her Director’s Cut for many reasons, the key ones being familiarity and her own intimate relationship with the show. 

“I first encountered Tracks six years ago, and even though that production didn’t fully come together, the show stayed with me,” Steyn said. “It kept coming back into my life, and I realized I wasn’t done with it yet. When the opportunity came to direct a Director’s Cut presented itself, it immediately felt like the right choice. In preparation, I spent a lot of time breaking down the script, journaling ideas and collaborating with Trey Spivey, technical director of theatre, and Dr. Victoria Spangler, associate professor of theatre to build a shared understanding of the story. Because it’s such an abstract piece, a lot of our work was rooted in exploration and trust, and that just continued with the cast when we started working.”

Steyn also emphasized the abstract nature of the show, how it focuses more on how events are moment driven and how it causes the characters and audience to wrestle with deeper topics and questions, not necessarily providing answers but helping to guide the conversation. 

“Tracks isn’t linear,” Steyn said. “It’s more like stepping inside someone’s memories and thoughts. It’s very movement-driven and emotionally focused, so it asks the audience to interpret and connect the dots themselves. It’s intimate, reflective, and sometimes a little disorienting in a way that mirrors the main character’s journey. With this show, there is a small taste of Artaud’s ‘Theatre of Cruelty,’ which is theatre that is meant to shock audiences.”

“At its core, Tracks explores memory, identity and how our experiences and choices shape who we become,” Steyn said. “It looks at how we process moments from our past, both big and small, and how those moments stay with us as we move forward. I hope that audiences leave Tracks thinking about their own experiences, choices and lives.”

Selah Portis is a sophomore general studies major with an emphasis in social work and theatre from San Marcos. Her favorite part of being involved in Tracks is the newness that it brings, from the show to the people she has gotten to work with.

“Having the opportunity to step into a character and a story I'm unfamiliar with and working with new people has been very rewarding and I feel very grateful to be a part of the process.” Portis said. “Audiences could expect some more mature conversations, reflecting on life realistically in a way we don't get to do often in a private university. Expect loud sounds, flashing lights, there is an emphasis on ‘cruelty theatre,’ which is theater that causes a sensory overload and shocks audiences.”

Portis describes her character as sassy and a new opportunity to showcase some of her own personality through theatre. She also praises Steyn and Kennan Dowling, a senior strategic communication major and theatre minor from Weatherford, for their work on Tracks.

“[My character] is bold, out there, and very sassy,” Portis said. “She was raised on ‘the wrong side of the tracks’ and her attitude is a side of myself that I haven't had the opportunity to show on stage.”

“Dayna has been the most amazing director and I feel honored to be a part of her Director's Cut,” Portis said. “Kennan designed the lighting and it looks absolutely magical. I feel that the audience is going to be completely immersed in this unique and beautiful production of Tracks.”

Dowling’s favorite part of being involved with Tracks has been the opportunity to continue working with Steyn.

“My favorite part of this show has been working with my longtime friend and director Dayna Steyn,” Dowling said. “She has taken this process by the reins and turned it into a masterpiece. From experimenting with unusual spaces, young actors and crazy concepts, she has given this show life. People can expect to have a few tears shed, a little laugh here and there, but most of all to be lost in their own thoughts as this show is spiritually thought provoking.” 

Dowling describes his character as two-sided, having some aspects most people would dislike but also having redeemable qualities to be discovered.

“People can expect to not like my character because he is not exactly a role model and kind of a know-it-all, but he does have redeemable qualities. I would like to have someone relate to my character and maybe see it as a call to change.” 

While advertised as not being as fully realized as a mainstage production, Tracks was masterfully done. From the lighting, set design and usage of a smaller space, to the acting, costuming and directing, this play is the embodiment of the phrase “well done” in every sense available. Every detail, every choice made, every bit of effort put into this production is noticeable and intentional. You can tell that there is an entire array of emotions being poured into every aspect of the show and it makes the experience all that much more exciting. 

Tracks wrestled with the idea of life after death, the shock of the initial realization, the fear of where we might end up after we are gone, if anywhere at all. It does not pull any punches and is willing to ask these questions, making the audience face these issues with the characters, all within the framework and imagery of a subway station. The characters are forced to question whether their train is going to heaven or hell, attempting to rationalize their lives within the confines of good and bad, some arguing that they do not deserve eternal punishment and others accepting their destination, wherever the train leads them. 

I loved this show. As a theology major at HSU, these are the questions I wrestle with on a daily basis, even as a Christian. I found the doubts and fears of some of the characters to be relatable, honest and profound in some cases. Similarly, the emphasis other characters had on the need for faith when it comes to understanding their eternal destination, rather than a personal justification, clicked heavily with my soul. The point of faith, the point of the Gospel, is not whether we are going to heaven or hell. Rather, it is whether or not we know Jesus Christ and are willing to have faith in Him, no matter the circumstances. 

There is so much I could say about this play. However, I feel that all that needs to be said is this: To the director, the cast and crew of Tracks and everyone else involved in this production, truly bravo and well done. This show is a much needed and sobering reminder that tomorrow is not promised, while also showing us that this life is not the end. Keep up the great work.

For those of you who missed Tracks, know that it was a truly amazing experience and also keep your eyes and ears open for when the next HSU theatre department production comes along. You do not want to miss it.