“3x3”: Three takes on theater - A E - The Captain's Log Online - Christopher Newport University's Student Newspaper
“3x3”: Three takes on theater
By Sarah Hayes, Asst. A+E Editor Published On April 14, 2010 in Volume 41, Issue 21
Molière, college rape and the creation of the world What do these three things have in common? Well, to be perfectly honest, nothing. At least they had nothing in common until TheaterCNU got a hold of them. For their final production of the 2009-2010 season, TheaterCNU presents “3x3: A Night of One-Act Plays” in which three plays by three playwrights are presented by three casts and three directors. The result is nothing short of one of the most unique evenings of theater you may ever experience.
The idea behind “3x3” was to create a unique evening that exposed the audience to a variety of theatrical styles and TheaterCNU certainly succeeded. The theatrical styles range from classic to contemporary and the directing styles vary just as widely as the scripts. A different director directed each show and the list was comprised of a TheaterCNU alumnus, TheaterCNU professor and a local guest director.
“Sganarelle," written my Moliere
Directed by guest director Todd D. Norris, “Sganarelle” was the most comedic of the one-acts presented. The story follows two couples—Celie and Lelie and Sganarelle and Martine—as they follow assumptions and rumors instead of seeking out the facts. As the play progresses, the four end up in a tangled web of confusion, jealousy and anger due to presumed adultery and disloyalty.
The period in which “Sganarelle” is written makes it difficult for actors and audiences alike, but Norris did his best to keep it relevant to the modern audience. “I wanted to keep it relatively accurate to the period in its general look and its general feel,” said Norris. “Not all of the jokes are going to translate to a modern audience, so we tried to preserve the jokes so they get the style of the show, but [we] also added a lot of visual interest and a lot of slapstick so the audience can enjoy the show as much as a period audience would have.”
Junior Willem Krumich (Sganarelle) and Senior Peter Adams (Lelie) kept the audience in stitches with their crazy antics and stunts as they fought to the ones they loved. As Adams melodramatically leapt around the stage in search of the one he loves, Krumich endured a beating by his wife Martine (Senior Megan Geers) before donning a ridiculous costume to fight for his honor and his wife.
The rest of the kept the audience smiling and laughing from start to finish and Sganarelle summed it up best when he says, “When all the evidence as you it leads up to one conclusion, don’t believe it.”
“Information," written by Nicole Quinn
The most somber of the three one-acts, “Information” addresses the topic of sexual assault and rape on a college campus through various monologues and conversations between students of multiple races, cultures, genders and sexual orientations.
Directed by TheaterCNU alumna Stacey Kruml, the cast of “Information” worked hard to understand and convey the severity of the topic and situation. “Sexual assault and rape is happening on a lot of college campuses and establishing the importance of it helped the cast find the tone they needed to set,” said Kruml.
The topics addressed within the show include power abuse relationships between students and professors, homosexual sexual assault and assault within relationships, among others.
Senior Alex Cirves gave a compelling performance as Pilar, a Mexican student who was assaulted by a professor. Her sincerity and pain was evident to every audience member as she relayed her story. Freshman Natalie DeHart played Kelly, a deaf student frustrated with the barriers between the deaf and hearing cultures and the lack of assistance for deaf people in assault and rape situations. Her anger and frustration could be seen in every sign and every facial expression as she relayed her painful story.
“Adam and Eve," adapted by Ruthann Curry and Bob Rogerson
The evening of one-acts closed with “Adam and Eve,” a retelling of the story of the first man and woman through the pen of Mark Twain. TheaterCNU professor Bob Rogerson directed the show and said, “I regard this piece as a touching, funny and heart-breaking account of Adam’s—and Eve’s—discovery of natural human behavior—as seen through the pen of Mark Twain.”
Seniors Grace Beach and Jeff Gallo portrayed Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, as they explored Eden with all its discoveries and surprises. Beach’s portrayal of Eve was intriguing in all its innocence and beauty. As she learned more each day about her environment and her companion, Adam, she seemed to delight in everything she learned.
As Adam, Gallo presented a very different perspective than most would assume of the first man. At first irritated with the presence of his companion, he slowly learned to appreciate her presence, conversation and assistance in live, coming to the final conclusion that “wheresoever she was, there was Eden.”
To capture the innocence and naiveté of Adam and Eve, Rogerson had Beach and Gallo focus on the concept of discovery. “As the first man and the first woman, they have no past,” said Rogerson. “Anger is based in the past. We have a database full of results of what has happened to us before, so we can get angry about what has happened. We don’t get angry at what is going to happen, so with no past there’s no anger.
“Fear is based in the future, but we have a database full of memories of our past futures. They have no past, so they have no fear. So we approached all this material as complete discoveries, wonder and magic without any negativity of fear and anger.”
Directed by guest director Todd D. Norris, “Sganarelle” was the most comedic of the one-acts presented. The story follows two couples—Celie and Lelie and Sganarelle and Martine—as they follow assumptions and rumors instead of seeking out the facts. As the play progresses, the four end up in a tangled web of confusion, jealousy and anger due to presumed adultery and disloyalty.
The period in which “Sganarelle” is written makes it difficult for actors and audiences alike, but Norris did his best to keep it relevant to the modern audience. “I wanted to keep it relatively accurate to the period in its general look and its general feel,” said Norris. “Not all of the jokes are going to translate to a modern audience, so we tried to preserve the jokes so they get the style of the show, but [we] also added a lot of visual interest and a lot of slapstick so the audience can enjoy the show as much as a period audience would have.”
Junior Willem Krumich (Sganarelle) and Senior Peter Adams (Lelie) kept the audience in stitches with their crazy antics and stunts as they fought to the ones they loved. As Adams melodramatically leapt around the stage in search of the one he loves, Krumich endured a beating by his wife Martine (Senior Megan Geers) before donning a ridiculous costume to fight for his honor and his wife.
The rest of the kept the audience smiling and laughing from start to finish and Sganarelle summed it up best when he says, “When all the evidence as you it leads up to one conclusion, don’t believe it.”
“Information," written by Nicole Quinn
The most somber of the three one-acts, “Information” addresses the topic of sexual assault and rape on a college campus through various monologues and conversations between students of multiple races, cultures, genders and sexual orientations.
Directed by TheaterCNU alumna Stacey Kruml, the cast of “Information” worked hard to understand and convey the severity of the topic and situation. “Sexual assault and rape is happening on a lot of college campuses and establishing the importance of it helped the cast find the tone they needed to set,” said Kruml.
The topics addressed within the show include power abuse relationships between students and professors, homosexual sexual assault and assault within relationships, among others.
Senior Alex Cirves gave a compelling performance as Pilar, a Mexican student who was assaulted by a professor. Her sincerity and pain was evident to every audience member as she relayed her story. Freshman Natalie DeHart played Kelly, a deaf student frustrated with the barriers between the deaf and hearing cultures and the lack of assistance for deaf people in assault and rape situations. Her anger and frustration could be seen in every sign and every facial expression as she relayed her painful story.
“Adam and Eve," adapted by Ruthann Curry and Bob Rogerson
The evening of one-acts closed with “Adam and Eve,” a retelling of the story of the first man and woman through the pen of Mark Twain. TheaterCNU professor Bob Rogerson directed the show and said, “I regard this piece as a touching, funny and heart-breaking account of Adam’s—and Eve’s—discovery of natural human behavior—as seen through the pen of Mark Twain.”
Seniors Grace Beach and Jeff Gallo portrayed Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, as they explored Eden with all its discoveries and surprises. Beach’s portrayal of Eve was intriguing in all its innocence and beauty. As she learned more each day about her environment and her companion, Adam, she seemed to delight in everything she learned.
As Adam, Gallo presented a very different perspective than most would assume of the first man. At first irritated with the presence of his companion, he slowly learned to appreciate her presence, conversation and assistance in live, coming to the final conclusion that “wheresoever she was, there was Eden.”
To capture the innocence and naiveté of Adam and Eve, Rogerson had Beach and Gallo focus on the concept of discovery. “As the first man and the first woman, they have no past,” said Rogerson. “Anger is based in the past. We have a database full of results of what has happened to us before, so we can get angry about what has happened. We don’t get angry at what is going to happen, so with no past there’s no anger.
“Fear is based in the future, but we have a database full of memories of our past futures. They have no past, so they have no fear. So we approached all this material as complete discoveries, wonder and magic without any negativity of fear and anger.”
