By W.C. Lawson |
An award-winning mask artist, 10 female actresses and a Greek tragedy.
That’s what the audience of the drama department’s latest production, “Alkestis,” will encounter when theater doors open Nov. 8. The play is directed by Andrew Wardenaar, a graduate student of fine arts.
The tragedy, one of the oldest surviving plays by fifth century B.C. Greek playwright Euripides, explores the story of a woman who was fated to die in her husband's place and what lingers after her death.
“This is a very unique play,” Wardenaar said. “Tragedy is all about the world and not being able to do anything about it.”
In traditional Greek theater all characters were played by male actors. Wardenaar wanted to use this aspect of single-sex casting from the Greeks, while keeping his entire cast female. The cast features 10 women from the University’s drama department. Sophomore Emily Claire Biggs, an actress in the play, said Wardenaar’s single gender cast was a strong decision.
“Andrew’s vision was so clear and precise that the challenges usually associated with a single gender cast in a play where both genders are represented were nonexistent,” Biggs said. “Doing this play with all women just seems so fitting for this particular production, and it is difficult for me to imagine what it would be like otherwise.”
Another aspect of traditional Greek theater that Wardenaar wanted to incorporate was the use of masks. When Wardenaar pitched this play to the department last February, he suggested to bring in award-winning mask artist Tony Fuemmeler to help the cast gain experience with the use of masks on stage.
“A lot of academic programs don’t exercise the use of masks,” Wardenner said. “We have been so grateful to have Fuemmeler help out with the production.”
The actresses were eager to learn from Fuemmeler and take on the challenge of using masks in their production.
“Tony was fantastic. Mask work is very daunting to me because much of my acting, for me personally, is done through my facial expressions, but he made it easier to understand,” said sophomore Tori Dunlap, also an actress in the play. “He was so incredibly helpful in finding out who our characters were, and how our masks reflected that.”
For the upcoming show, Wardenaar will be using mask designs from UP drama professor Gregory Pulver.
The production also includes orchestration. The cast has been learning musical arrangements sung by the chorus. In between the choruses, original musical compositions by junior music major Dana Coppernoll-Houston will be featured.
“Having all of our actresses act as a unified chorus will create a heightened form of speaking,” Wardenaar said. “The play is about people dealing with grief, so hymns sung by the chorus really will create a great impact on the play.”
INFO:
The play will run Nov. 8-10 and 14-16 in the Mago Hunt Theater. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays and 2:00 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets will be sold at the box office in the Mago Hunt lobby from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Selected evenings will be free to students.
