Southeast alum returns to claim a role in 'Big River'

Brodrick Twiggs, a 2016 alumnus of Southeast Missouri State University, was just a freshman in high school when he landed a role in the River Campus’ adaption of “Big River.” Twiggs will return to ‘Big River” in the role of Jim.

“Big River” is the story of Huckleberry Finn, a young man who comes from a toxic household that chooses to run away. During his solo adventure, he meets a slave who yearns to navigate through society by being given his freedom. As the two struggle with their own problems, they soon realize just how much they have in common.

“Back in I think it was 2007, I was a freshman in high school and one of my former junior high choir teachers at the time had gotten in touch with me because he had heard from people in the department at SEMO that told him that they wanted people from the community to audition to be a part of the first show at the River Campus,” Twiggs said.

Twiggs said his former teacher and the teacher’s daughter both auditioned for a role in “Big River” and they were all assigned parts.

He [twiggs] was not assigned a lead role, instead he was assigned a background character in which he played the role of a slave.

“So you’re kind of in the background for most of the production like during the group numbers,” Twiggs said. “You may have choreography, you know, you just stand to the side.”

Not many can say they were a part of an inaugural show and asked to be a part of the show’s 10-year anniversary. However, Twiggs can gladly say that. As the River Campus not only celebrates its 10-year anniversary, it is also celebrating its 10-year anniversary showing of “Big River.”

“I hadn’t performed on this stage since we did the show back in 2007. I wasn’t on the Bedell [stage] when we did past shows,” Twiggs said. “So that was one aspect since I did the original production. I was always wanting to come back again and be able to have more of a significant role on the stage.”

Twiggs does more singing now than he does acting. Missing being able to act made him want to return even more.

“So it’s kind of been that yearning if you will or hunger to get back on stage,” Twiggs said. “So those two (returning to acting and the Bedell) combined it was like a no-brainer. So when Kenn [Stilson, chair of Conservatory of Theatre and Dance and director of the show,] had called me and asked me to do it, it was obvious I had to.”

Twiggs’ growth as an actor 10 years ago to now couldn’t be more evident, as he’s performed in numerous shows since his mainstage debut.

“It’s just a whole lot more knowledge that I have now that I wouldn’t have ever thought to have back then just being a freshman in high school. I mean you don’t really know anything you’re just learning so much,” Twiggs said. “But definitely the experience from then compared to now is just way, way different because with all of the knowledge that I’ve gotten over the years since then I can definitely approach a character with a way more mature outlook and just having so much knowledge to put a lot more into the character.”

Playing the role of a slave is not an easy one. To properly channel his character and to get in the mindframe of being a slave, Twiggs said he listened to a lot of hymns, black preachers and Negro spirituals.

“I listened to Negro spirituals, listening to a lot of, believe it or not, preachers, black preachers,” Twiggs said. “Listening to the way [preachers] talk ‘cause this role of Jim, a lot of when he talks and how we walks is just a lot of passion in what he wants because he’s longing for his freedom.”

Although, his character is a slave, that doesn’t mean that he and his character don’t have any commonalities. Actually, Twiggs and Jim have a lot more in common than people would think.

“Yeah me and my character are pretty similar, we both have a real joy for life, family and friendship,” Twiggs said. “So I like to spend a lot of time with the people that I care about the most and those are really pretty much what I live for.”

Throughout the course of the production, Jim is seen participating in leisure activities. Twiggs said that a huge difference between himself and his character is the fact that the character is interested in the outdoors.

“He’s a fisherman, he’s big I’m sure on hunting, fishing. He likes nature, I’m not so much,” Twiggs said. “I’m more of an indoors type of person, I like to be on my iPhone.”

The racial messages delivered in the production are undeniable many of which people compare to present-day contemporary issues in the United States.

“Right now since we just got out of this huge political season with all this stuff and before that it was the whole police brutality stuff you saw all over the country, whether it was in Ferguson or Baltimore,” Twiggs said. “So it’s just a lot of racial tension, racial uncertainty. That’s what this show is about.”

“Big River” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 and 23, at 8 p.m. Feb. 24, at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 and 2 p.m. Feb. 26 in the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall.

To purchase tickets to see “Big River,” visit the River Campus Box Office, located at 518 S Fountain St, during the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, or via telephone (573) 651-2265 or online at RiverCampus.org/big-river.