Last June, as many students had wrapped up the school year and began to revel in the joy of summer vacation, director Nancy Kindelan and student dramaturge Heidi Nielson were merely beginning their work on Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge.”

The two worked on the research behind the play for months before the actors even auditioned. Kindelan said the dramaturge’s role is “to unearth the world of the play.”

Nielson, a senior theatre major working on “A View” as part of her final project to graduate, has been researching the town Redhook near the Brooklyn Bridge, with Kindelan. The signs of their work are apparent in the green room, a small room connected to the Studio Theatre where the cast can relax before, during and after rehearsals. Nielson has posted pictures of Redhook and Sicily and created casebooks for the characters. Kindelan said these books “allow [the actors] to explore Redhook and get more information on their characters.”

Now that production is well underway there is even more work to be done for the staff and actors. Kindelan is teaching only one class this semester, but she likes to refer to “A View” as her other teaching assignment.

“A lot of people don’t realize how much work it is,” said Nora McBurnett, a third-year theatre major who plays Beatrice, the main character’s wife. “It’s intense, but I’m learning a lot.”

Besides the six rehearsals per week, actors constantly have to go over their lines and scripts, work on their character development, watch movies about Redhook and the 1950s – the era they will be portraying – and handle whatever class work or co-op work they may have.

As time passes, the rehearsals slowly begin to resemble the final product. The set, although still in construction, is beginning to capture the rustic, industrial atmosphere of Redhook. The stage is cluttered with scaffolding and ladders and there are wooden steps for the actors to run up and down throughout the scenes.

In order to get a feel for their final costumes, the actors wear mismatched pieces during rehearsals. The women wear heels and skirts to get used to moving around the small set while the men wear hats inspired by the 1950s, which clash awkwardly with their modern day jeans and t-shirts, to help them get into character.

For the most part, the actors have their lines memorized and the thick Brooklyn/Italian accents are sounding more natural. Only an occasional “line” is called and immediately the assistant stage manager, third-year theatre major Laura McKusick, calls out a few words to get the action flowing again.

The emotions in the play are becoming evident as the actors become more comfortable with their characters. Specifically, the tension between husband and wife, Beatrice and Eddie Carbone, is growing after every rehearsal.

“It’s draining,” McBurnett said of her first large role at Northeastern, including that she is excited to be working on this production.

“It’s fun, but it’s work,” she said.

It is evident how dedicated the actors are to creating the best show possible. Even when an actor is not required to be on the stage, they can be found in the wings or in the green room working on their lines or rehearsing a small scene between characters.

Once Kindelan calls for “notes!” all actors immediately return back to the stage waiting to get advice and critiques of their performances.

Thursday marks one week until opening night, and in many theaters this would mean the beginning of “Hell Week” – the stressful week of multiple dress rehearsals and run-throughs to prepare the cast for opening.

But not in the Northeastern Theatre Department.

Kindelan said the goal at Northeastern is to prepare students with what they’ll be facing when they get out into the real world, in professional theatre they don’t have a Hell Week.

“It just adds stress at the time when [everyone] should be relaxing,” she said, pointing out the strict rehearsal schedule she has instilled in order to prevent this extra last-minute stress.

Kindelan said she’s looking forward to having her play performed in front of an audience because, even though it takes place over 50 years ago, the issues addressed through her characters are still relevant to the lives of people today. She will find out if a Northeastern audience connects with “A View” when it opens at the Studio Theatre, which can be found in the hallway between the Curry Student Center and Ell Hall, on Oct. 12 at 8 p.m.