Centreville residents and Westfield High School graduates Carolyn Agan, 19, and Jon Lawlor, 21, will be participating in the Keegan Theatre production of the musical "1776." The play opened Saturday, June 2, and will be showing at the Church Street Theatre in Washington, D.C., until Saturday, June 30.
THIS IS THE FIRST Keegan production for Lawlor and the second for Agan, who appeared in the theatre's production of "Bold Girls" last spring. Agan plays Martha Washington and Lawlor plays Leather Apron in "1776."
"My character is the peon in the group," said Lawlor. "He's good friends with everyone in the Congress, but he is of the lowest stature."
"Martha Jefferson is one of my favorite roles," said Agan. "It's a fun part; everyone likes the idea of playing an historical figure, and I play one of the two female characters in the entire play."
"1776" is about the United States' Second Continental Congress, which lead up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Carol Baker, the managing director of the theater, believes that "1776" has something for everyone.
"It is both funny and sad. It will make you laugh out loud, but it will also make you think. A good play is one where when you're watching it, it makes you think about a topic that you wouldn't usually think about," she said.
"I think that this play makes the audience realize that the founders were people too, and they fought over all sorts of things and had obstacles to overcome," said Lawlor.
"It's a fun play," said Agan. "It can appeal to everyone. There are lots of jokes that only parents would understand, but there are jokes that kids can understand too. Anyone from this area would enjoy it."
Given that "1776" speaks about the Declaration of Independence, it only makes sense that the ideal place for the production to take place would be in the nation's capital, right around Independence Day.