McCorkle plays the long game in her latest role -- onstage and off

It’s rare that an actress gets to spend years developing a character, but Edgewater actress Allison McCorkle has done just that in her latest role as Olga in Strangeloop Theatre’s Mitera.

“I am so excited to take part in the sharing of this wonderful story,” McCorkle said. “I've watched this script develop for a while and it has been really cool to watch it evolve.”

Set amongst a small Greek community in the American Deep South during the months preceding the Supreme Court's landmark decision in the gay marriage case Obergefell v. Hodges, Mitera tells the story of the Sheridan sisters who discover their mother, upon her death, has left their entire inheritance contingent on the youngest sister marrying within a year. If she fails to do so everything goes to their oldest male cousin in Greece. But the youngest sister is an unattached romantic who believes in marrying for love. Mitera pokes and prods the boundaries of family loyalty and examines the idea that sometimes the people we’ve known our entire lives are the people we know the least.

McCorkle originated the role of the eldest sister, Ogla, in 2013, when a 10-minute version of Mitera was part of Loopshop, Strangeloop’s short play and development series. From there she has continued in the role through a series of readings and into the version that opens next week in the North Mansion at Berger Park.

“I love the relationships in this play, how the dynamics constantly fluctuate and evolve,” McCorkle said. “And Olga, for all of her exhaustion, she still has a sense of humor.

“And I love the Greek element – I haven't really ever had an opportunity to explore that before; the contrast between an older, traditional culture and the modern world today – what adjustments we make in dealing with it.”

The process of having time to completely develop a character has made McCorkle want to focus on shows she really cares about going forward.

“It's been really nice to work on something of such depth with characters I can really sink my teeth into,” she said.

When not acting, McCorkle enjoys Bollywood cardio workouts and life in Edgewater.

“It's so diverse and making huge efforts to become more of an arts scene,” she says of her neighborhood. “And we are SO CLOSE to the lake!”

See McCorkle on stage in Strangeloop Theatre’s production of Mitera, running on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. April 14 through May 25 at The North Mansion at Berger Park with previews on April 7-9. More information is available at strangelooptheatre.org.