As a musical theatre major in her senior year, Charnette Batey knows how to overcome stage fright. She knows how to prepare for an audition and how to handle rejection.
She just wasn’t sure how to tell her boyfriend of seven months, Patrick, that her next role required her to be naked and to simulate sex with two different guys.
“It was my first time being in a serious relationship and balancing a show,” says Batey who played Dionne in IU’s recent production of Hair. “I just thought, ‘Get it out fast.’”
“It was kind of a shocker,” admits senior Patrick Lloyd, a history and communication and culture major. “I’m totally removed from that world.”
After some initial trepidation, Lloyd says he was eventually fine with it. The time apart was more of an issue than stripping for the stage. For two months, Batey went to rehearsal six days a week for four hours each day.
“It’s not like I didn’t support her, or didn’t trust her,” says Lloyd. “And it’s not a major issue, it’s just hard when you want to spend time with someone, you know?”
Batey says communication was key when balancing two schedules and the show. They would grab an early dinner around 4 or 5 p.m. so they could spend time together before 6:30 rehearsals. And while Batey practiced on stage, Lloyd would make sure he had his homework done so they could hang out after rehearsal ended at 10:30.
After more than 200 hours of rehearsal, Lloyd was there for the very first performance.
“All the anxiety and stress that comes from a big controversial show like that really gets wiped away when you see the final product. She was a stunner,” says Lloyd. “I was really proud.”
“Can I interrupt? Patrick, do you hear that?”
From behind the closed doors of the theater comes the faded strains of Beyonce’s “1 +1.” Batey begins to silently mouth the words along with the melody.
“And it’s me, and you.
That’s all we’ll have when the world is through.”
“It’s our song,” she explains.
“We just heard this song this summer and it fits us perfectly,” Lloyd says as he slowly turns pink. “Damn it! You’re not supposed to bring stuff like that up.”
Batey just laughs and pats him on the knee.
