ENTERTAINMENT
THE REFLECTOR
7 APRIL 28, 2021
New play redefines theatre
UIndy Theatre department performs new dark comedy play titled “Drowning Ophelia” virtually By Olivia Cameron BUSINESS MANAGER
The University of Indianapolis Department of Theatre put on a production of the dark comedy “Drowning Ophelia” on April 20-24 via Zoom. The play tells the story of Jane, a woman who has created a separate personality that represents her trauma from being sexually assaulted by a family member, junior theatre major and actor Audrey Panyard said. “You get to see really what the effects of trauma have on somebody through the show… but the play is also a comedy,” Panyard said. “So it’s not a super deep thing throughout the whole [show]. It’s kind of at the end where it really hits you of what’s going on. It’s fun and it’s lively
and it also has that really deep, impactful message at the end.” The play tells a story that has an important message about mental health, according to director and associate adjunct faculty member Grant Williams. He said that promoting mental health among students is important to him. “I think any play at any time that pushes positive mental health and working for the betterment of yourself and looking at your past and how you can move forward in life is a great moment,” Williams said. Panyard played the role of Ophelia, the personality created by Jane that represents her trauma. Panyard said that this character is different from ones she has played before, as Ophelia is not her own character, but is something created by someone else. Playing Ophelia also
required Panyard to sit in a bathtub full of water on the stage, she said. “I’ve never had to do a part where I’m acting completely soaked,” Panyard said. “So it’s a whole different experience and it’s really, really fun.” Being in a bathtub throughout the show was challenging because the water gets cold and she had to be careful not to slip, according to Panyard. Another challenge is that she was physically alone during the performance, she s aid. Panyard was the only actor on the stage in Esch Hall’s Studio Theatre while the other actors were in adjacent rooms, according to Williams. He built the concept in order to keep the actors separated. The actors were isolated in this production because they wanted to be able to perform without masks on,
Contributed photo by Kielynn Tally
In the University of Indianapolis’s new dark comedy play known as “Drowning Ophelia,” the actors perform in separate rooms while using screens. In addition, junior theatre major Audrey Panyard plays her role while in a bathtub located in Esch Hall’s Studio Theater.
UIndy celebrates the art of jazz
family from all over the country that like to watch too,” Meyer said. EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Throughout the week, students got the opportunity to play along with faculty, junior jazz studies major The University of Indianapolis’ Jazz Alexander Nativi said. He said it was Ensemble celebrated Jazz Appreciation an honor to play with such talented Month by dedicating a week to jazz musicians. performances. According to Assistant “It’s a great educational experience. Professor and Director of Jazz Studies It’s a great opportunity to play with Mark O’Connor, the focus of Jazz other musicians that are [of a] different Week was to celebrate the art form in caliber than probably oneself, but it’s as many ways as possible while having not the same [without an audience]. as many groups perform throughout. The music doesn’t really feel as aligned Every night was dedicated to a specific as it should be,” Nativi said. style of jazz, O’Connor said. According to senior jazz studies According to O’Connor, April 14 major Pearce was dedicated Edwards, being to the swing era virtual is better and April 15 than nothing, The was dedicated to It’s a great educational opportunity to groups from the experience. It’s a great play with others is bebop era. April still an upside said 16 was dedicated opportunity... Edwards. to Latin jazz, and “The thing that’s April 17 was the really important finale where the that I can’t miss out on [is] playing with UIndy jazz ensemble played, O’Connor real people because if I was performing said. or playing with a backing track, there’s The entire week was virtually not that interpersonal spark,” Edwards streamed on Twitch, an online said. livestreaming platform, according to As jazz is one of America’s original senior jazz studies major Eric Meyer. forms of music, the Jazz Ensemble Both Meyer and O’Connor said they wants to make sure that people wish they could have had an audience. understand its significance, O’Connor “I will say it’s a little strange not said. During these times, O’Connor having an audience, and it’s a little said that Jazz Week is a celebration challenging because we feed off of the of something that was created by our energy from the audience,” O’Connor nation. Jazz Week not only impacts the said. “And so for the audience to be community, but it teaches the ensemble, only virtual, it’s a little harder to come Nativi said. up with the energy, but at the same “I’m very thankful for this. For time, there’s a lot of energy, amongst the Jazz program, especially as the the members of all of the ensembles, director Dr. O’Connor, for bringing themselves.” in such wonderful personnel, such Even though there was no audience, talented personnel, and allowing these Meyer said that there are upsides to the other musicians to come in and just week being virtual. The most obvious is share their insight of what this music that it is a safe solution, Meyer said. is,” Nativi said. “That to me has really “I do also think that it’d be cool to been the most educational part of keep the virtual option in the future for this entire experience in my entire time people that want to watch the art in here.” Indianapolis. Cause I have friends and
By Jazlyn Gomez
according to Panyard. All actors are being filmed and projected onto screens that are on the stage, which is all being filmed by one camera, Panyard said. “It’s a really cool thing to see. It’s theatre that I’ve never done before, but it’s really interesting and there’s a lot of challenges that come with it, with not having that person acting right next to you and having their energy to feed off of,” Panyard said. “You’re really having to do a lot more as the actor to kind of make up what you’d be given if they were there.” It was challenging to get all the technical elements into place, according to Williams. There were complications with Zoom rehearsals and incorporating distancing,camera feeds and microphones, he said. Williams said it was a fun but very big challenge. He was excited about
using a lot of multimedia elements and redefining what constitutes live theatre. “While we had to make sharp turns from what typical theatre is defined as, I think we’re still honoring what live performance is while making it a little bit more interesting, which I think does a great service to this play,” Williams said. Panyard hopes that the audience gained a wonderful experience from watching the show. She also hopes that the audience saw how interesting theatre can be. “Theatre isn’t just one way,” Panyard said. “It can just be done in so many ways and there’s so many creative elements to theatre. And I hope they also see the full message of what happens to someone who experiences a traumatic event and doesn’t deal with it.”
Contributed photo by Kielynn Tally
Junior theatre major Audrey Panyard performs the role of Ophelia, while splashing water., Ophelia’s personality was made by the character Jane in“Drowning Ophelia.”