Tag: OWU Theatre

OWU spring theatre production: an ancient myth with a modern twist

Katie Cantrell

Transcript Correspondent

kmcantre@owu.edu

An ancient Greek myth came alive with a modern theme at Ohio Wesleyan this past weekend.

OWU theatre department’s spring production of “Eurydice,” written by Sarah Ruhl, was performed in the Chappelear Drama Center Studio Theatre from Thursday through Sunday. It was the directorial debut for Bradford Sadler (’05), a part time instructor in the theatre & dance department.

Sadler had multiple reasons for choosing Eurydice.

“I think it’s a really beautiful show that deals with issues that I was interested in in terms of love versus loss,” he said. “I thought it provided a challenge for the actors as well as the technicians, but an appropriate level of challenge that we could rise to together.”

The play centers on the ancient Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice. Sadler brought the play into a modern setting.  However, the overall core plot of the myth stayed true to the original tragic love story.

In the play, Eurydice died and went to the underworld where she encountered her father, the three stones and the lord of the underworld. Eurydice’s husband, Orpheus, in his grief writes some of the saddest songs and eventually uses those songs to gain both entrance and passage through the underworld in search of his wife.

While in the underworld, Orpheus makes a deal with the lord of the underworld: his wife can leave with him as long as he does not turn around and look to see if she is following.

The cast of “Eurydice” included: junior Miko Harper as Eurydice, sophomore Adam Lieser as Orpheus, sophomoreAaron Eicher as the father, sophomore, Maxwell Haupt as the nasty, interesting man and lord of the underworld, freshman Alex Dolph as Loud Stone, freshman Camy Dodd as Little Stone, and senior Maggie Welsh as Big Stone. The cast and crew have been preparing for months. Some work was done as far back as December of last year.

 Eurydice is not leading lady Harper’s first time on the mainstage. As a freshman she played Sally Bowles in OWU’s spring production of “Cabaret.”

“I actually understudied for Big Stone in high school, so I was familiar with the show and knew it was hard, but it’s so good and I was really excited to do it,” Harper said.

Every cast member had something they enjoyed about their experiences.

“I think because it is sort of a minimalist type of show in terms of the set and I guess it’s less flashy than a lot of shows, so it kind of forces you to really dig deep and there’s no distractions or cover ups and it’s a little more raw,” Harper said.“That’s been really challenging but it’s been really cool because I haven’t really been able to do that in a long time.”

 Eurydice was Doph’s first mainstage theatrical play at OWU. Prior to this show, she participated in Orchesislast semester.

 “Eurydice” provided junior Jarrod Ward his first opportunity to be a lighting designer for a major production. He had to meet with the director, the technical director and the set designers frequently throughout the production process to work out different lighting for the production.

“Some things were a little bit challenging like trying to work with projections and getting projections set up was a bit challenging. Along with a few tweaks here and there, it hasn’t been too challenging,” Ward said.

Dolph thoroughly enjoyed her experience.

“The people and the relationships we’ve made, I’ve grown closer to so many people and all my cast members. I’ve gotten to know our director pretty well and I’ve made so many friends with people I didn’t even talk to before,” Dolph said.

A classic myth becomes OWU’s spring play

Hailey De La Vara

Arts and Entertainment Editor

hhdelava@owu.edu

With Eurydice’s production, Ohio Wesleyan’s theatre department is bringing a post-modern spin on the classical Orpheus myth.

Eurydice is written by award winning playwright Sarah Ruhl. Ruhl gives the myth a new perspective in this poetic work. Theatre professor and director of the show, Bradford Sadler, will bring a Greek myth to the Chappelear Drama Center in the Studio Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 13. The performances will take place until Feb. 15.

The play is told from the point of view of Orpheus’s wife, Eurydice, played by Miko Harper.

Sadler expressed his excitement for the upcoming play.

“This is an out of the ordinary play, and when you come into the theater it will be different from any other play you’ve seen,” He said.

Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for senior citizens. Admission is free for OWU students with a valid OWU ID.

One Acts! Performed in December

By Elenya Stephani

Transcript Correspondent

Theatre majors will come together on Dec. 6 and 7 to put on a production, with the directing and playwriting courses, of “One Acts!,” a series of short scenes performed by volunteer actors and actresses.

At the end of each fall semester, the Department of Theatre and Dance produces a performance where two upper level classes, the directing and playwriting, put on a student-run play. Open auditions were held Oct. 29 for students wanting to participate. Directing and playwriting classes pick the actors they want to present their scene. Students in the two courses have been preparing for this the entire semester to showcase their talents.

“Directing is a lot of hard work,” said sophomore Jasmine Lew. “You have to accommodate the playwright and the actors’ or actresses’ needs and wants, while still making the scene look good for the audience.” Lew has been active in the department.

“The scene I am directing reflects what I learned in class this semester,” she said. “I hope everyone can come see what I have done. I am really proud of my work.”

The director, playwright and actors of each scene rehearse four hours per week. The actors memorize the script; the playwrights give ideas on what they want their play to look like; and the directors try to replicate that on stage.

Actor and sophomore Max Haupt explained that being an actor for “One Acts!” has helped him greatly improve his acting abilities.

“‘One Acts!’ really helps you learn how to work with everybody involved in the production,” he said. “And [it’s] a great opportunity for new coming actors to try out their skills. It can be a great learning experience.”

Haupt uses a lot of his free time memorizing the script and getting into his character, saying sometimes he spends up to two hours every day preparing for a role.

“I am very proud of how hard the students have worked this semester on the show,” said instructor Bradford Sadler of the theatre department. “I think it will be spectacular.”

Orchesis is Coming to Your Local Theater

By Jessica Slauson

Transcript Correspondent

Thirteen dancers, a faculty choreographer, a guest choreographer and five crews are preparing for next month’s performance of Orchesis.

The Orchesis concert will be performed in the Chappelear Drama Center on Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The performances are estimated to run 90 minutes.

“Orchesis is the annual faculty-directed dance concert that incorporates dance works made by students, faculty and professional choreographers,” said faculty choreographer Rashana Smith.

The choreographers in this performance include, guest Megan Bushway, Smith and student choreographers: Taylor Frasure ‘21, Miah Gruber ‘20, Maggie Welsh ‘21, Tess Meddings ‘22, Anne Raspe ‘22 and Ellie Bearss ‘22. Each choreographer has her own piece.

The themes of the pieces include: a musical score, going from day to night, school shootings, watered grass, physical contact without touching, stepping into unknown territory and uniformity and individuality, according to an OWU press release.

Some of the audience can expect to see at the performance are: Alex Dolph ‘23, Anne Raspe ‘22, Colleen Cornwell ‘22, Eleyna Stephani ‘21, Ellie Bearss ‘22, Jasmine Lew ‘22, Kayla Rush ‘23, Lizzy Nebel ‘23, Maggie Welsh ‘21, Miah Gruber ‘20, Miko Harper ‘21, Taylor Frasure ‘21 and Tess Meddings ‘22.

“Dancers and choreographers meet as a company each Monday 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. to have technique class and rehearsal together and to go over the administrative work of the company,” Smith said. “There are two hour rehearsals for each piece throughout the week. The only day that rehearsals are not happening are on Saturdays.”

In addition to the rehearsals, “we encourage people to go to the gym,” said dancer Eleyna Stephani. “We encourage people to just do workout cardio; to run; to do anything that keeps [their] body active because the more limber you will be and the better the dances will look.”

Some fears for this year’s performance include getting hurt and forgetting the routine. Stephani, who has bicep tendonitis in her right shoulder needs to be aware of what dance moves cause her pain.

“My fear is just making sure I know the choreography with all the other stuff I have going on, but once I get to performing, I’m not really scared, just excited,” said dancer Jasmine Lew.

Tickets for OWU students who have a valid student IDs are free. General admission tickets are $10. For senior citizens, OWU faculty and non-OWU students who have a valid student IDs, tickets will be $5.

Two Eras Collide at One Historic OWU Performance

By Maddie Matos A&E Editor

The weekend of Oct. 4 brought colonization and modern times into one show at Ohio Wesleyan University’s production of Cloud 9.

The show was directed by senior Ares Harper, making it the first show to be directed by a student in over 45 years.

Cloud 9 is divided into two acts that correlate with one another. The first act focuses on a British family in colonial Africa circa 1880. The family dynamic plays a key role in the plot of the show. Various characters are forced to suppress their sexual desires and orientations due to the social structures of the times they live in. This allowed the audience to draw obvious parallels between sexual oppression and colonialism.

“The show brought up a lot of serious questions… and social commentary,” sophomore Hannah Carpenter said.

The cast of seven students were asked to play 18 different roles in the show. Each character in the first act had a correlating character in the second act. Some characters switched their gender in the show as well, adding a unique aspect to the show.

The second act was set in modern day London. This act was more lighthearted, allowing the audience to laugh while still understanding the themes of the show.

“It was a good way to interweave humor with an important subject matter without it being convoluted or overdone,” sophomore Claire Yetzer said.

The audience received the show well, with standing ovations at the end of the program. Some actors got high praise as well for their roles in the show.

“I liked Edward in both the first and second half… he seemed honest and genuine,” Yetzer said.

Edward was played by freshman Jasmine Lew in the first act and sophomore Logan Kovach in the second act. The character is a gay man who must suppress his sexuality in the first half, and then in the second half come to terms with what he actually identifies as.

“It was interesting to see him in both the Victorian era and the modern era,” Carpenter said.

Each character had to grapple with their needs and desires to better themselves. The connection to the show was strong among the audience, with both Yetzer and Carpenter feeling the show offered insight into the need for self enlightenment.