As a sophomore at Stanford, Sammi Cannold, ’16, adapted a musical about a young woman on a bus so that it could be partially staged on, yes, a moving bus. That allowed for a small audience but a smartly reimagined theater experience as people rode a Marguerite shuttle during Violet (in which Toyon Hall served as the scene for stops at a church, hotel and nightclub).
Photo: Tess MayerCannold, who talked to Stanford in February as she worked as associate director on the Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, will stage Violet on a Harvard shuttle in April for the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass. Cannold, who received a master’s degree through Harvard’s arts in education program, says the motorized Violet exemplifies A.R.T.’s mission of “expanding the boundaries of theater and reinventing the relationship with the audience.” Having made the concept work at Stanford, she notes, provides a nice sense of security for this next go-round. “It’s not one of those where you’re like, ‘Oh, gosh, is it going to work on a bus?’”
