Deep End APO, the student-run theater production company on campus, has two more shows this season, and despite being very different in subject matter, they have something big in common: they will both run outside.
The first of these two plays will be Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind. The drama follows a woman caught between the imperfect real world and an ideal one of her own imagining. Look forward to an incredibly intimate performance.
“The whole play takes place in my char- acter, Susan’s mind. So you get to see what she sees, hears what she hears, and, I sup- pose, feel what she feels, in a way,” said Christine Menge ’18 .
Woman in Mind, performing Thursday, May 5 and Friday, May 6 at 7 p.m., will use the labyrinth on the lawn between Boe Memorial Chapel and the Christiansen Hall of Music, in part to symbolize Susan’s struggle to find reality.
The members of the production also plan to make use of the space being outdoors in a way that goes beyond the landscaped labyrinth.
“We are going to try and time it so the end of the play happens at sunset, so you can see the light literally fade as the play ends,” said Aaron Telander ’19.
Cast members recommend audience members bring a light spring jacket in case of showers or cooler weather.
Deep End APO’s final play of the year
will be a rendition of William Shakespeare’s comedy, The Two Gentlemen of Verona. This play, directed by Chaz Mayo ’18, will be performed Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8 at 4 p.m. – also taking advantage of an unconventional space.
“One of the most exciting parts of this show is the location: the front of the theater building has a really dramatic arch and the railing is so fun to play with. It’s a very unique sort of place to act in, especially with all the people who are walking through the area, unaware we are using it as a stage. It’s a great time,” said Bjorn
Long ’19.
Its unusual location is not the only thing
that promises to make this final production of the Deep End season memorable, though. The cast and crew of The Two Gentlemen of Verona have been intentional about bringing the play to life through technical and theatrical means.
“This experience has been unlike any other show I have ever done. The element of recreating history adds a certain gravi- tas, which infuses the show with a different kind of energy,” Nolan Richard Bedward ’17 said. “It has been amazing working with talented actors like Ian Sutherland ’18, Bjorn Long ’19, Annika Isbell ’19, Ellie Fuelling ’17, Annie Halloin ’18, Lindsey Bertsch ’19 and Kim Sesvold ’18, which makes all the difference in making a cohe- sive cast. Chaz has been a steady guiding force who has helped steer this production towards its destination.”
Whether you are looking for an evening of witty puns and happily-ever-afters or something more psychological and per- sonal, the first weekend of May will have a theater production for you. All you have to do is go for a stroll.
