Amidst an overwhelming fall semester, Jade Fernandez still found the time to tie the knot.

No, it wasn’t during fall break or at the University Chapel.

Fernandez has practiced getting hitched on stage almost every day for the past six weeks in preparation for University Theatre’s production of “Our Town.”

As Emily in the Thornton Wilder classic, Fernandez, 20, has been saying “I do” to her on- and off-stage boyfriend, Jake Cooper, who plays the male lead, George.

“It’s funny to me to be fake marrying my boyfriend,” Fernandez said with a captivating grin.

Though director Farley Richmond said he did not purposely cast the couple, the real-life chemistry did make the acting easier.

“The trust was already there. It was nice to know I could focus on George and she could meet me halfway,” Cooper said.

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The petite, dark-haired Fernandez, whose charismatic personality easily attracts the attention of onlookers, took a break each Tuesday at the campus Jittery Joe’s.

“Mondays and Wednesdays are horrible,” she said with a grimace.

On those torturous days, Fernandez, a theater and Spanish major, has class at 9 a.m., heads straight to work afterward, then to practice with Commedianti Georgiani (an improv group), and to top it off, a full night of rehearsal usually ending about 11 p.m.

Though her routine may seem exhausting, the animal lover finds spare time to “play with the puppies” at the local animal shelter.

Likewise, she makes a point to stay involved with Forgotten Friends, an animal adoption group.

Furthermore, Fernandez plans to participate in Miss UGA in the upcoming months, keeping her calendar full throughout the year.

“It’s better than I imagined,” she said in terms of balancing her schedule with rehearsals and school.

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Meanwhile, back on stage at the Morton Theatre, Fernandez focuses on staying in character, something that remains challenging with Cooper playing her love interest.

“You get to relive the giddy days,” she said of romancing in front of an audience. “Though it’s hard not to bring what’s in our relationship into the characters.”

Cooper agreed with her sentiments, adding that at times their on-stage relationship seemed “corny” when amplified under the lights.

Although she may have to make marriage look easy, Fernandez, a junior from Duluth, originally battled with self-doubt, primarily with handling the straightforward and emotional role of Emily, she said.

Cooper describes Emily’s character as “spunky” and director Richmond noted most of the actresses who have played her in the past have been older.

“This [role] could have gone to a graduate student,” Fernandez said. “I thought to myself, ‘Can I handle this?’”

Fernandez’s self-confidence developed throughout the play process, with much of the inspiration coming from the famous playwright himself.

“Thornton Wilder strips down the play to its bare bones,” she said. “I told myself, don’t get caught up in all of this; it’s supposed to be simple.”

The simplicity of “Our Town,” a slice-of-life drama about a 20th century American town, prompted Fernandez to reflect on her own life as well.

“You have to realize life while you live it,” she said.

Richmond noted Fernandez’s ability to rise to the challenge, as well.

The skill level to play a character that ranges from a young child in the first scene to a grown woman in the final scene calls for an actress with certain criteria, he said.

Fernandez’s growth as an actress played a significant part in the development of Emily.

“She has a maturity in her acting that is very rare for a young woman and has brought an emotion, both humorous and seriousness, to the role,” Richmond said.

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Back at Jittery Joe’s, the actress’ vibrant eyes light up when asked if acting runs in the family.

“My grandmother actually played Emily in high school,” she said.

Although the stage may be in her blood, the self-described “fickle” Fernandez is certain about her role in the entertainment community.

“I think arts are crucial to a person’s education,” she said confidently.

Fernandez added that a former drama teacher’s words of wisdom still replay in her head every time she takes the stage.

“He told us, ‘Don’t go out there and try to be a star, just try to inspire people,’” Fernandez said.

And as the curtain rises at the Morton Theatre tonight, Fernandez hopes audiences will be inspired enough to slow down and appreciate what is around them in their own town.

“We’re in college, and we’re majoring in stuff that either we love or that we think we should major in,” she said. “Maybe you should just do what you want to do and just go for it.”

- Sara Goodman