Sophomore Emily Rudofsky is coordinating four performances of “The Importance of Being Earnest” at High School South as a benefit for Hudson’s Hope Foundation, an organization that helps people with epidermolysis bullosa. “At the age of seven, I played Marta in an off-Broadway production of ‘The Sound of Music,’ and my interest in drama and literature skyrocketed afterwards,” says Rudofsky. “I have wanted to produce and direct a show for a number of years now, and I was lucky to find a clever show with such a small cast.”##M:[more]##
“I went to see a production of ‘Earnest’ at Kelsey Theater a year or two ago — when I was first getting into Wilde’s writing, and it blew me away,” says Rudofsky. “I’m hoping to live up to that caliber of work, but we’ll see where this leads me. Either way, I’m extremely proud of my cast, and crew, and even myself.”
“The organization we chose, the Hudson’s Hope Foundation, not for its pivotal importance to the play itself, but because the little boy for whom it was funded is someone who I have had the pleasure of meeting, and who stole my heart,” says Rudofsky. “Epidermolysis bullosa is a dreadfully sad disease, and so when approached with doing a show for charity, the first organization that came to mind was Hudson’s Hope.”
EB is a rare genetic non-contagious disease characterized by the presence of extremely fragile skin and recurrent blister formation, resulting from minor mechanical friction or trauma. The disease occurs in every racial and ethnic group and affects both sexes equally.
The Learning Channel produced Jonny Kennedy’s story in the film “The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off.” Before Kennedy died at age 36 in 2003 from skin cancer, he worked with filmmaker Patrick Collerton to document his life and death. Rudofsky met John Hudson, 4, a New York City child with the same severe form of EB. It takes three hours every day to clean and bandage the wounds on his arms, hands, legs, feet, and torso.
Rudofsky lived in Staten Island until she was 10 and began attending drama programs weekends, summers, and after school at the Snug Harbor Conservatory when she was young. When the family moved to New Jersey, her parents commuted her back and forth for a while. She also took voice lessons and was involved in a few junior company operas. At South she studies concert choir.
“The show is entirely student run and produced, so the only advisors we have are a handful of teachers from the Language Arts department at South,” she says. “They have all been a huge help in securing rehearsal space, advertising, and generally just helping out as needed.” Faculty members lending their support include Don Gilpin, Kimberly Hudak, Estella Ruggiero, and Barbara Jetton.
“This is my first time really, truly directing, and it’s been some ordeal, but a definite good experience,” says Rudofsky. Demi Ashton, the drama teacher and director of numerous productions at South, has been giving Rudofsky tips on directing a show.
The cast includes Tim Forrester, junior; Ethan Fishbane, sophomore; Melissa Ogden, sophomore; Julia Levy, sophomore; Elizabeth Jerome, sophomore; Kat Boucher, senior; Josh Troger, sophomore; Max Marder, junior; and Amal Kumar, junior. Elise Bautista, a junior, is the stage manager; and Jon Amira, a senior, is the assistant director.
“As for the theater space, I spoke to the principal (Charles Rudnick) early on in the process of the show about little details, and we agreed on dates to use the theater for free based on the schedules of my cast and crew, and the theater itself,” she says. “I have been so lucky to have so much support.”
The Importance of Being Earnest, High School South, Clarksville Road, West Windsor, 609-716-5050. Benefit for the Hudson’s Hope Foundation www.johnhudsondilgen.com. Student produced productions. $5. Saturdays, April 22 and 29, 2 and 7 p.m.
