Senior Vivian Robison (left) as Mariane and Anna Gooler as Frosine perform during Tuesday night's dress rehearsal. Gargoyle photo by (click to enlarge)

Four members of the Gargoyle staff — senior editor Anna Gooler and junior editors Kahlilah Cooke, Adam Joseph, and Katy Metcalf — are involved in this year's fall play, "The Miser."

This week they will take us backstage to get a sense of what goes into putting on a school production. What happens in tech week doesn't always stay in tech week. Today: Anna Gooler.

URBANA — There is a particular set of smells that accompanies productions at Uni High. First of all, there is the make-up. This is a big one, because it goes right on your face.

Then there are hair products: gels, sprays, dyes, pomades, etc. These can also be rather pungent and stay with you until you can wash them out.

And of course I can’t forget the costumes, which tend to be musty.

But apart from these consistent scents, I have found that Uni plays have other distinct smells that vary. For example, the set items may have different smells for each play. The production may even have an associated scent based on the actors in it.

So maybe these are slightly strange observations. Don’t take them the wrong way, though; I’m not going around sniffing everyone and everything in sight. I just happen to notice the different aromas surrounding my theatrical experiences. Is that weird?

I can't say exactly why I focus on these smells, but perhaps it's my brain preparing for nostalgia. I'll be flying around in my hovercraft someday in the future and smell something familiar, and after wracking my brain to figure out the source of my deja vu, I'll find myself yearning for the good old days of theater at Uni.

And when I look back at those days, I'll think of the excitement I felt as the cast lists went up. I'll think of the first read-throughs, the first glimpses of our characters, and then the first days we would have to go without scripts, when frustration would set in. And I'll think of the opening nights, when adrenaline and nerves and excitement mix up and give my character that essential punch.

So, even though some of the smells I associate with Uni theater might not be the most pleasant, I'll still appreciate them. They will forever be little reminders of some of my proudest moments. And I'm sure there are scents associated with other activities and places, too, whether it be a sport, your grandma's house, or school.

When you come see "The Miser," notice the scents I hold dear. And try noticing the smells in your life. You might find that you'll appreciate them more than you thought.

More Photos: FALL PLAY '09, "The Miser"

Senior Andrew LaPointe as La Flèche and Anna Gooler as Frosine scheme away in "The Miser." Gargoyle photos by David Porreca (click any photo to enlarge and to create your own slideshow)

Vivian Robison as Mariane is one of the characters whose love life gets an assist from matchmaker Frosine (Gooler).

Frosine knows a thing or two about attracting the opposite sex, as La Flèche (LaPointe) can attest.

FALL PLAY '09: Molière's "The Miser," directed by Barbara Ridenour

CAST

• Harpagon (the miser) — Zack Goldberg (sr)
• Cléante (Harpagon's son) — Ethan Schiller (sr)
• Elise (Harpagon's daughter) — Stefanie Senior (jr)
• Valère (in love with Elise) — Ben Zehr (jr)
• Mariane (in love with Cléante) — Vivian Robison (sr)
• Maitress Simone (a moneylender) — Maia Gersten (so)
• Frosine (a scheming woman) — Anna Gooler (sr)
• La Flèche (Cléante's servant) — Andrew LaPointe (sr)
• Jacqueline (Harpagon's servant) — Kahlilah Cooke (jr)
• First Servant (Brendavoine) — Stirling Hobgood (fr)
• Second Servant (La Metluche) — Matthew Meyer (fr)
• Justice of the Peace — Katy Metcalf (jr)
• Clerk to the Justice — Arch Robison (su)
• Seigneur Anselme — John Garvey

CREW

• Stage Manager — Tianna Pittenger (sr)
• Costumes — Mary Stasheff
• Set Design — Margarita Mouschovias (jr)
• Lighting Design and Operation — Adam Joseph (jr)
• Sound Operator — Adam Joseph
• Poster Design — Tianna Pittenger
• Program Design — Tianna Pittenger
• Set Crew — Kahlilah Cooke, Maia Gersten, Greta Goldbart (su), Zack Goldberg, Anna Gooler, Stirling Hobgood, Andrew LaPointe, Diana Liu (sr), Katy Metcalf, Matthew Meyer, Margarita Mouschovias, Charlie Newman-Johnson (jr), Arch Robison, Vivian Robison, Ethan Schiller, Stefanie Senior, Fiona Weingartner (jr), Ben Zehr