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Volume CXVIII, No. XXIII |
December 8, 2005 |
‘Requiem' open for interpretation
Staff writer
Staff writer
By Mary Beutz and
Ali Walters
The Record
Deep in the basement of the BAC, an innovative and mysterious art form emerges in a small, dark room.
Charles L. Mee's "Requiem for the Dead" opens with the labored breathing of a dying man. This intense first scene sets the stage for an emotionally stirring student performance enhanced by the integration of video imagery.
"Requiem for the Dead" focuses on the themes of life and death and sudden change.
The drama does not have a concrete point and does not adhere to the typical narrative form of theater.
It is rather a seemingly unconnected series of events and flashbacks that force the audience to make their own interpretations of the characters' emotions and motivations.
The cast of characters consists of an old tyrant, an unhappy couple who married each other for money, a religious spinster and an intricate love pentagon.
This unhappy mix of characters discuss love and life through poetic insights on human nature. The ambiguous dialogue, however, does not illustrate the actual action occuring in the play.
Robert and Lars, two brothers in the play fighting over Lars' wife, are played by senior Pete Swenson and sophomore Jake Swenson, real-life brothers. They took advantage of their relationship and used it to make their characters more believable.
"It was easy to draw emotion, because we're already so comfortable with each other," Jake Swenson said.
While the background of the characters is not given, audience members still feel invested in their story. The audience has the challenge of making up the characters' backgrounds as the action unfolds.
This type of audience participation was envisioned by Adam Houghton, an assistant theater professor, and Ryan Smith, a senior English and theater double major, who co-directed the enigmatic drama.
Working together on the production since the spring, their goal was to present a drama that the audience could interact with and interpret in its own way.
This goal led them to incorporate video clips into the performance. They chose "Requiem" because it was "poetically wide open" and could be shaped freely.
Houghton emphasized that although the content of the play can be understood in many different ways, he said, "The main issue is that you have the experience you are ready to have."
