Cedars, December 2017

by Shelby Ahlborg Cedarville University’s theatre depart- ment has been attracting wonderful actors for years. Merra Milender is one of those actors and has been comfortable being on stage since she was three. Milender, a senior theatre student, first became involved in theater and acting when her mother decided to get her involved in their church’s pageant. She continued to act until high school, where she discovered she loved theater and decided to pursue it. Milender’s first lead was in high school as Morgan le Fay in “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.” But her favorite role so far has been Vivian Bearing in the show “Wit.” She felt the show’s premise gave her an opportunity to connect with her audi- ence. “Wit” was about a woman with cancer, something that many people could relate to. Afterward, she had the opportunity to talk to people who came up to her and told her how the play touched them, or what ex- periences they were going through in their own lives. Those conversations made the whole experience significant to her. Currently, Milender is in the middle of rehearsals for the theater’s winter play “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” She will be playing the role of the White Witch, the evil queen who has taken over Narnia and cast the land into an eternal winter. There have been many renditions of this story over the years, in both movies and plays, with each cast bringing their own ideas about the characters to life. For Milender, she has her own ideas for what she would like to do with her interpretation of the Witch. “I would like to have a White Witch who’s original, and a character who’s more complex than just ‘Oh, she’s the bad one,’” she said. “More than that, I want to provide an image of what we’re struggling against in our Christian lives. I want to provide the au- dience with a visual image of principalities and powers that we struggle against every day. ” Milender said that at Cedarville, en- couragement and inspiration are never too hard to find. She has found help in every one of her professors and fellow students. Two of the most inspirational have been Dr. Diane Merchant and former pro- fessor Robert Clements. Milender has seen their passion for theater and has been en- couraged by it. She feels they have wonder- ful personal stories, are incredibly talented, and love what they do. Similarly, Milender’s fellow students find just as much encouragement in her as she does in them. “She is so bold and fearless,” senior theatre major Heather Lange said. “She has such an incredible passion for what she does, and she is so insightful and deep-thinking. She is also incredibly kind and an all-around wonderful friend to all. She is a great balance of taking life seriously but also knowing when to laugh at herself.” Stephen DeJong, another senior the- atre student, agreed. “She is a very dedicated actor and really goes all out when she creates a character,” he said. “I mean, she shaved her head to create a character once. I think I speak for everyone when I say she is a blast to work with.” Even though design is not her favorite thing, Milender has extended her love for the arts into lighting and costuming, as well. She owes much her appreciation for design to her professors. Both acting and costum- ing are such an enjoyment to her, that she hopes to follow their footsteps and teach. Currently, Milender is working on get- ting into URTA, the University Resident Theatre Association, which can hopefully help her find a school where she can get her MFA in theater. After graduate school, she would like to act professionally for a few years before becoming a theater professor, where she can then pass her acting expertise on to the next generation of young actors. “My favorite thing is the moment right before you walk out onto stage,” Milender said. “Where you’re backstage, and you have all of the crews bustling around you, everybody is silently going about their own work, and you have this moment where you can almost hear a bubble closing over you as you try to get into the zone. There’s just something about the way your body comes alive and every single nerve ending is on fire.” Shelby Ahlborg is a junior graphic design major and an arts and entertainment writ- er for Cedars. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, writing, and studying the anima- tion and special effects in movies. December 2017 16 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Merra Milender: Bold and Fearless Photo by Lauren Jacobs Merra Milender will be playing The White Witch in “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” playing this February in the DeVries Theatre.