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Meet Agatha!

Phaidra Yunker will be playing Agatha in Theatre B’s upcoming production of The Moors

Yunker in Theatre B’s production of Dead Man’s Cell Phone

Yunker has had a variety of experiences within her twenty plus years of performing. “I’ve performed in tiny gymnasiums in rural North Dakota and in auditoriums that seat a couple thousand people.” She also is no stranger to the Theatre B stage having previously performed in KuwaitNext FallDead Man’s Cell PhoneA Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Sweet Nothing. In addition, Yunker participated in several staged readings with Theatre B and was the costume designer for The Pillow Man. When not performing, Yunker works as the Custom Container Design Manager at Baker Nursery. “I work in greenhouses 10 months out of the year, and I absolutely love it.”

After reading the script, Yunker knew she had to audition for The Moors when the time came. “The contrast of modern language and ideas [in The Moors] against the backdrop of what seems to be a Brontë novel creates a lovely tension. The script is surprising and thoughtful, with incredibly poignant discussion about the nature of love and relationships.”

Yunker in Theatre B’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Yunker plays Agatha, the stern and spidery older sister who is full of secrets. She connects with Agatha in their shared love of their homeland. “Agatha has a very strong attachment to the landscape of the moors and finds inspiration in them. I feel the same about the rolling hills of the Missouri River Valley in central North Dakota.” Their personalities, on the other hand, could not be more different. “[Agatha] is a cunning manipulator, pulling strings to get her desired outcome. I am very much an open book sort of person.”

The rehearsal process has been an enjoyable time for Yonkers. “This is an excellent cast and crew, full of talented, funny, and kind people who are a joy to be around. We laugh a lot.” The greatest challenge for Yunker, however, is memorizing her lines. “The syntax that Silverman uses is sometimes unexpected and it can be challenging to get it word for word.”

Yunker rehearsing for The Moors with fellow cast members

Yunker thinks people should see The Moors because “It is a beautiful, darkly humorous examination of what it means to be human. It has a few plot twists that will have people on the edge of their seats. People will walk out of the theatre and be thinking about the play in the days and weeks afterward.”