THE GRAPPLER
FALL 2023 / EARLY WINTER 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS A Note from the Editors Camille Pugliese and Liz Bazzoli
Creating Against Capitalism: Theatre and Its Immaterial Value Katherine Shuert Finding Solutions in a National Theatre? Emily Townley Censorship in Schools and Why Proper Access to Theatre Matters Samantha Scott Invincible Theatre: Exodus & The Empty Space Willa Colleary Mole Hill Stories: I Believe in TYA Liz Bazzoli When Theatre Makes Music Camille Pugliese Seagull Artemis Westover
FALL 2023 / EARLY WINTER 2024
A NOTE FROM YOUR EDITORS CAMILLE PUGLIESE AND LIZ BAZZOLI
Hello Grapplers! We are back to our regularly scheduled programming. We were blown away by the outpouring of support for our Prague Edition, our first publication using ISSUU! Thank you so much for your support during this transition. Writing for The Grappler looked a little different this quarter. We met three times from September to November. In our first meeting we gathered everyone together for a brainstorming and pitching session. From there, writers who wished to continue their pieces spent the next month writing and showed up at our second meeting to workshop their pieces. This consisted of writers reading their pieces aloud and the group giving our support ad notes. In our final meeting, we had one last round of edits, and of course a celebration of the work that everyone put in throughout fall quarter. It was important to us as editors that we begin to hone our collective voice. We wanted our writers to find what makes them most passionate, what they want to explore within a few parameters we set. They generated ideas based on the how they feel being a conservatory student in this moment where the industry is facing many unknowns. We were met with a response that shows resilience, passion, and joy. The last three pieces of this issue are coverage of TTS productions-- Mole Hill Stories, The Royale, and Seagull. This is part of a colleague criticism initiative began by current editor Liz Bazzoli and former editor Leah Geisler (‘23) in early 2022. It is important to engage with the work that is happening at our university in a way that is productive for all involved. As dramaturgs, part of our curriculum is dramatic criticism but outside of class, we did not have a formal place to practice writing outside of class. We are excited to share and are ready to embrace any dialogue that follows!
CREATING AGAINST CAPITALISM: THEATRE AND ITS IMMATERIAL VALUE BY KATHERINE SHUERT
I spend a lot of time musing on my idea of
I see a lot of people who share my desire for
an American theatrical utopia. I am
a more widespread cultural interest in
constantly facing theatre as it is in its
American theatre. Of course, most of them
current state and am often at odds with it.
are my peers and, while that is great, it
So then, as a young student in a
would be even better if non-theatre-people
conservatory, I am constantly poked and
did too. At large, America has a problem
prodded to provide an image of my ideal,
with valuing art. The arts are the first
the theatre world I want to create. Well, if I
programs cut in schools, artistic careers
had it my way, America would have a
aren’t exactly encouraged socially, and the
national theatre that I would work for,
government doesn’t like to fund the arts
people (especially non-theatre people)
because they are not as useful to the
would care about it, and I would retire with
military as STEM.
a government pension. Also, everyone would have the theatrical equivalent of a
That’s the other thing, I’m very happy with
Letterboxd account.
the area of study I’ve chosen for myself. I can’t say many of the adults in my life share
I want theatre to be important to America’s cultural identity. Important enough for the everyday person to write some little review of their own into an app to share with friends, important enough for people to go see more than just whatever hot Broadway musical is touring through their city that year, maybe even important enough for specific government support outside of the National Endowment for the Arts. I know I can’t force people to care, but I really wish I could.
that joy. I like to think of my friend who studied abroad in Ireland. When she told some locals she was studying theatre, they were happy for her, excited. Then they would engage her in conversations about the plays they liked and had most recently seen. That’s the first time I’ve heard of that happening. It sounded almost like a fairy tale. That has never happened to me. I always get that look, the one that rides the line of disappointment and pity.
Still, Americans love artists. We are very
So, what can theatre do for the American
individualistic that way. It’s why we love
public if it doesn't produce a tangible
Hollywood. We love movie stars, big-shot
product? What contribution can it make to
directors, and globally famous musicians
the American cultural identity if its
featuring on soundtracks. That’s another
impressions are so fleeting?
issue though; we inevitably become more interested in the artist than in their art.
It is not very economical, but still, it holds
Being famous becomes the job, forget
value. Those fleeting impressions mean
acting, directing, or modeling on the side.
something to people. It means more than another digit on a check.
We buy their movies, their merchandise, and follow their every waking moment
I am so desperate for those brief moments
through paparazzi photos and social
in time. I don’t think I need to explain what
media. We demand our fix, demand a small
it means for people, or what it does for
piece of ownership in their very existence.
them; I don’t think I could do that justice. I
Celebrities become commodities, another
look around and I see chronic boredom,
thing to own. That’s the other thing about
constant burnout, and devastations
Americans, we love to own things.
ranging from intensely personal to global. I am not so much of an idealist that I think
America is intensely capitalistic. It’s a fact of
theatre solves any of these, but enough of
life that success in the U.S. means having
one to believe that it helps.
something to sell with high profit margins and low production costs, using someone
My theatrical utopia is not defined by its
else’s money whenever possible. This is all
ability to decrease the national debt, prop
in the effort of protecting your capital,
up the economy, or otherwise fill the
increasing your wealth, and owning the
pockets of the 1%. It is not stifled by rising
nicest, newest, shiniest things to show off
ticket prices and soulless commerciality. It’s
to your friends and family.
where theatre, being so immaterial, is finally valued and supported in this
Theatre so rarely fits that model.
materialistic place I call home.
Theatre is hard to buy and hard to sell. It’s
KATHERINE SHUERT (SHE/HER) IS A
ephemeral in nature. Even as a theatre
BFA 2 DRAMATURGY AND DRAMATIC
maker myself, I can only possess a play in
CRITICISM MAJOR FROM LOMBARD,
memory. I could buy a ticket, the script,
ILLINOIS.
maybe even a copy of the pro-shot (if one even exists), but I can never physically own what theatre sells. When it comes down to it, I think that’s why so many people don’t care. Distilled to its center, plays are just limited moments in time.
FINDING SOLUTIONS IN A NATIONAL THEATRE? BY EMILY TOWNLEY
"WE FULLY RECOGNIZE THAT NO GOVERNMENT CAN CALL ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE INTO EXISTENCE…NOR SHOULD ANY GOVERNMENT SEEK TO RESTRICT THE FREEDOM OF THE ARTIST TO PURSUE HIS OWN GOALS IN HIS OWN WAY." - LYNDON B. JOHNSON The state-run theatre.
Knock, knock, here comes the federal government! Congress effectively
On paper, it sounds like a solution to
terminated the project after a House
problems the modern theatre landscape
Committee on Unamerican Activities
faces. At least, one that I hear brought up in
investigation found the project a little too
classrooms at The Theatre School.
leftist for their liking. Because theatre turns
No more fights over creative control with
people communist, or whatever. What the
the board of trustees, a somewhat more
government gives, the government can
stable source of income, and so on and so
take away.
forth. A utopia where the government sponsors theatre all across the nation. Call
More well-known today is the National
me skeptical, but I can’t help but wonder if
Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Established
something like a state-run theatre is
by the LBJ administration, the NEA not only
feasible in the United States. Or if a state-
provides funding for nonprofit theatres, but
run theatre is a solution to the models we
other theatre projects as well. Because it is
have in place currently.
the National Endowment for the Arts, it also funds other artistic endeavors, such as
First, let us look at previous attempts in
translation projects, research grants, etc,
American history at a state-run theatre. A
etc. As it is a government entity, funding for
prominent example is the Federal Theatre
the NEA fluctuates, as does support for it.
Project (FTP). During the Great Depression,
Ronald Reagan famously tried to abolish it
the Roosevelt administration created the
when he was elected president. A string of
FTP through the ongoing Works Progress
controversial projects in the ‘80s and ‘90s,
Administration (WPA), which sought to
though not exactly related to theatre, gave
reduce unemployment. Its aim was to
more reason for those opposed to the NEA
employ theatre artists who were affected
to call for its removal. Though the House of
by the Depression, as well as keep theaters
Representatives recently voted against
an essential part of everyday lives after the
cutting NEA funding by 10%, our theatres
end of the project. The project yielded
should not be held hostage on the political
successful results, funding theatre projects
battleground.
across the United States throughout the Great Depression.
It took over three weeks for a Speaker of
And, for what it’s worth, Germany is a great
the House to be elected after Kevin
example. I hear you. However, each country
McCarthy was ousted. If the government
functions separately, and as such, arts (and
can’t even run itself, then I have little faith
theatre funding in particular) work
in it running the arts efficiently.
differently than in the United States. But, sure, let’s take a look at the way other
The way government functions in the US
countries do it. In Poland, whose cultural
also convolutes matters related to even the
minister removed museum directors he
possibility of a state-run theatre. The United
found too liberal, a director was dismissed
States is a federal republic, and while
from the Warsaw Dramatic Theatre due to
federal law trumps state law, those powers
her “support of the LGBT agenda”. In a
are written out in the constitution. While
chilling statement, the provincial governor
there is a federal budget, states also have
said that the director had “not taken into
their own budgets. If there were a state-run
account the expectations of the organizer
theatre, would the power go to the federal
of the hiring process, the city of Warsaw”.
government or the states? Would each
That’s just one country, though. Fine. Let’s
state manage its own theatre budget, or
look at others then. Russia, Iran, Belarus…I
would that go to the federal government?
can go on.
If the case is “leave it to the states”, then the inequitable practices we see in theatre
I don’t want to claim that if the United
today (ie. lack of quality, lack of access)
States chooses to run a federal theatre
would still appear due to different states
program or have state-run theatre, then it’ll
enacting different budgets for theatre. As
turn into a totalitarian state like Iran or
The Who song goes, “meet the new boss,
Russia. Even for a theatre student, this
same as the old boss.”
seems a little dramatic. What I am concerned about, however, is how openly
In order for there to be any form of a “state-
those are willing to accept the state-run
run” theatre, there would need to be a
theatre as an alternative. The slippery slope
complete overhaul of the way our entire
to censorship and propaganda that can,
country functions. A little drastic, yes, but
and does, happen as a result of a state-run
when looking at all the components:
theatre is inevitable. When looking at the
federalism, the state of our government,
past and the present, I can’t help but be
and the way our country simply functions, I
wary of the government having access and
don’t see any other way. I also don’t see a
control over the way we do arts.
world where people would be willing to sacrifice and change how America works
Is what we have now ideal? No. Is the state-
for a new, artistic, theatrical identity.
run theatre the only other option? Also no.
But wait, I hear you say, why can’t we just try Germany’s theatre model? They are a
EMILY TOWNLEY (SHE/HER) IS A BFA4
federal republic, like the United States, and
DRAMATURGY & DRAMATIC CRITICISM
they have over 100 state/city/county
MAJOR FROM THE DC AREA.
theaters nationwide. Over two billion euros (both from state and municipal funds) went into funding theatre and music.
CENSORSHIP IN SCHOOLS AND WHY PROPER ACCESS TO THEATRE MATTERS BY SAMANTHA SCOTT
I am a long-time lover of the arts,
This moment came at the end of our play
particularly theatre. From a young age, I
in dedication to and remembrance of all
have witnessed firsthand how vital it is for
the victims who, like Annie, escaped, and to
sensitive and marginalized stories to be
the many others who are unable. The
told within our communities.
photos and story itself were deemed “not age appropriate”.
Five years ago, during my freshman year of high school, my theatre company
After a week of PTA meetings and school
produced an evening of one-acts, where
board voting to see if we would have to
one show in particular was almost shut
close the show after opening night, we
down due to our school district's
agreed to pixelate every photo of evidence
disapproval of the themes being
and real-life injuries of the victims in the
performed. The target of the backlash was
play to make it more “enjoyable” to watch.
“My Name Is...”, written by a local playwright and retired district attorney
The fact is that the lessons we can learn
from my county, David Norum. He shares
from theatre, the stories we keep alive in
the story of Annie, a 20-year-long domestic
our retellings of these works, and the sense
violence survivor. He interviewed women
of community and safety many of our
who knew the victim, other victims of the
productions give to the audience are
perpetrator, and others who worked on the
something that cannot be dismissed or
case. Norum compiled these stories into a
censored. Although this was five years ago,
30-minute short play of intertwining
now more than ever we are seeing
monologues retelling the story of Annie's
increased censorship and productions we
escape and life during her isolation and
cannot perform.
continuous abuse. It’s been three years since the pandemic With such a powerful story, why was the
began and it's not a secret that theatre is
school board so adamant about shutting it
still facing many challenges exacerbated by
down? They argued the show's tentative
the world shutting down.
closure was due to the showing of actual photos and records from the police report.
Theatres across the country continue to
Without proper representation, along with
face economic challenges including lack of
the suppression of ideas and artistic
attendance, issues with non-profit business
expression, we will lose valuable examples
models, and a lack of government funding,
of individuality. If we move towards
all while trying to keep their doors open to
conformity, we could potentially lose the
the public. In addition to these problems,
arts as we know them. Banning and
the recent book bans, political strife,
limiting access to stories and perspectives
and censorship in classrooms has been
that are often erased is a step backward in
taking a significant toll on the shows and
history and will cause great harm to the
resources available for youth to perform
artists of the future.
and learn about in the education system. If you want to learn more about the current Sexuality and race are targets in the
crisis of censorship in the arts, research our
widespread book and curriculum bans
individual and group rights as artists. Some
happening across the nation. We are now
organizations advocate for support and
seeing a stark parallel in the shows school
even provide legal assistance to school
boards have been prohibiting. Almost all
districts or theatrical groups that are
the shows that have been prohibited
facing immediate threats to their freedom
contain content pertaining to the LGBTQ+
of expression.
community, mental health issues, language, or questions regarding gender
Some great organizations to look into are
and racial disparities.
the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) who “Promote freedom of thought
A few shows to note that have been
and inquiry and oppose censorship. When
banned in some school districts across the
controversy occurs, [they] encourage and
country for these themes are The Laramie
facilitate dialogue between divergent
Project by Moises Kaufman, The 25th
voices and perspectives, including those
Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by
that have historically been silenced.” The
Rachel Sheinkin, Indecent by Paula Vogel,
Foundation for Individual Rights and
and even James and the Giant Peach by
Expression (FIRE) “Defend[s] the individual
Timothy Allen McDonald.
rights of all Americans to think and live freely. These rights include freedom of
These bans and restrictions pose a threat to
speech, freedom of association, due
young students wanting to learn more
process, legal equality, religious liberty, and
about characters with whom they identify.
sanctity of conscience — the most essential
It destroys the space where they can feel
qualities of liberty”.
secure in their own identity and prevents students from exploring their own stories.
It is essential to create productions that
Censoring these stories affects how they
share these stories and bring awareness to
can see their own experience represented.
erasure and its detrimental effects. By continuing to produce and put on shows
SAMANTHA SCOTT (SHE/HER) IS A BFA 1 DRAMATURGY & DRAMATIC CRITICISM MAJOR FROM PISMO BEACH, CALIFORNIA
that spread awareness, we can actively keep these stories, their purpose, and their legacies alive.
INVINCIBLE THEATRE: EXODUS & THE EMPTY SPACE BY WILLA COLLEARY
Last year, in the midst of Intro to Theater Studies, I fell hard for the idea of smallaudience theater. I was particularly fond of an anecdote about actor and writer Wallace Shawn, who performed his solo piece The Fever in the apartments of whoever paid him. I thought of him walking down cold New York avenues, catching the train, trudging up staircases, knowing an entire show was walking with him.
THE ENSEMBLE AT “THE CASITAS,” WHERE IVANOV WAS CONCEIVED AND DEVELOPED, SEPTEMBER 2020. PHOTO BY GRACIE MEIER
Hypnotized by this example of immersion, I wondered how it could be used to rebuke
Driving through the architecture of their
the idea that theater is dying. I continued
spaces with tempo and verve, the group
to search for images of theater this way, at
invites a select number and engages them
its barest and most personal.
in degrees of participation. “What you think about theater, and what you know about
I heard about Exodus Ensemble through a
yourself as the audience, could be turned
friend two months ago, and my mind
upside down,” writes Daisy Geoffrey of
flamed with amazement. Made up of
Southwest Contemporary. “There’s no
thirteen TTS alums set adrift by COVID and
curtain to divide your reality from
enamored with each others’ shared
performance—it’s just you and a paradigm-
language and creative palette, Exodus
shifting… production.”
Ensemble began when artistic director April Cleveland & company shacked up in a
In my internet-skating I slipped through a
property called The Casitas in Santa Fe, NM,
deluge of vivid details: Exodus warns
and set about crafting “wild, original,
against minors’ participation, is known to
immersive” productions for small
briefly blindfold audience members
audiences. These shows– in repertory to
(consensually, of course), and only releases
this day– range from their “high-octane”
performance addresses after tickets have
modern take on Chekhov’s IVANOV to a
been reserved. My interest remained at an
cultic riff on the Biblical BATHSHEBA story.
insatiable high.
In October I finally emailed Exodus and
Some just want the experience again–
they put me in contact with Gracie Meier,
others are intrigued by what different cast
their creative director and a former DePaul
configurations look like. “Actors could know
Theater Management BFA. Meier’s work is
between one to four roles for each show,”
vastly interdisciplinary; they are a
They explained. Meier herself knows both
formidable theater photographer and arts
the roles of Anna Petrovina and Borkin for
administrator, and have devised and
IVANOV.
performed various roles in Exodus productions.
Exodus shows are limited to an audience of 10-20. I asked Meier about the part a small
During our interview, Meier regaled me
audience plays. “It lets us do more
with the fascinating and turbulent plight of
complicated things,” They said. “It lets us be
Exodus from her perspective; their phoenix-
with audience members through their own
from-the-ash rise following COVID lay-offs,
emotional journey.” She elaborated that
the constant re-location of their living
instead of performing for an anonymous
quarters/rehearsal space/performance
crowd of people having separate, private
venue (from unreliable AirBnBs to an
reactions, Exodus actors are in it with their
empty 7500 square foot mansion); their
audience– they are constantly assessing
run-ins with unstable landlords,
audience needs and adjusting accordingly.
threatening neighbors, and their many
There is care and trust present at all times.
spontaneous connections with donors and superfans; The CEO of arts installation org
We discussed the challenge Exodus (and
Meow Wolf and Game of Thrones author
theater in general) faces, not just as a
George R.R. Martin among them.
competitor with other companies, but with other forms of entertainment, as well. “We
Though the practicality of their pay-what-
asked ourselves, in this attention economy,
you-will model and shifting living quarters
how do we make theater bingeable?” Meier
seemed precarious to me at first, it’s clear
asked. And again– it’s the inherently
that support for Exodus came out of the
theatrical qualities that give Exodus an
woodwork as soon as they announced their
advantage. She articulated that lost in a big
arrival on the Santa Fe scene. Meier painted
audience, someone could wonder, “Is this
a picture of a city with a strong
for me?” Whereas with Exodus, audiences
undercurrent of cultural appreciation, and
are so personally involved they must
an immediate affinity to the group. “We
conclude “There is no question that this is
have homies,” They told me. “People come
for me.”
back all the time… they want to show their friends what they found.” She emphasized
From my perspective, Exodus’s success is
returning audience members as a
due to its beautifully simple objective. They
cornerstone of their evolving company
aren’t trying to fill Neiderlander-sized
presence.
theaters, they are attempting to tell stories that feel personal and electric. Stories that require our presence, our action, and our actual selves. It is exactly the theatricality, the intimacy of Exodus that, in turn, sustains support from the community.
Small-audience theater is attacked on
Exodus Ensemble is a stellar response to
account of its impracticality, on charges of
this principle, leaning into theaters’ natural
being either bogusly expensive for its
qualities instead of attempting to do away
patrons or unprofitable for its artists; but
with them and ultimately coming out the
Exodus manages. Operating on a pay-
other side with something more engaging
what-you-will model, Meier explained how
and frankly, more special than anything
the company sees both tiny and huge
else you can do with a Friday night. Any
donations and those that can’t donate feel
company that embraces a small audience
galvanized to help in other ways, even if
as integral– not obligatory– to their work,
just by spreading the word. The variety of
unites with Brooks’ simple and invincible
their patrons’ support keeps the company
definition of theater. I say “invincible”,
thriving.
because as long as there are empty spaces, people, and the desire to engage in the
I would argue that a stronger bias against
mimetic pleasures, theater lives on.
small-audience theater is not in regard to its impracticality. All theater is pretty much
I would even go so far as to say that the
impractical– let’s face it. The discrete attack,
idea that theater is dying is not just
the attack-beneath-the-attack, is that
incorrect, it’s insulting. It misunderstands
small-audience theater is small; you can’t
what theater is and where it thrives, and
upload it on Spotify to a million streams or
supposes that because the work can’t be
watch it blow up on Netflix. To us that
distributed en masse, on a virtual platform,
dream of sold-out crowds, or imagine a
the work is unsuccessful.
sheer quantity of attention in our darkest capitalist wishes, a performance of small-
Theater is thriving everywhere. In Santa Fe
audience theater cannot qualify as
hideaways, in studio spaces and apartment
“successful”.
buildings. Perhaps we shouldn’t presume to see everything going on in the world, or
The question this poses: Is visibility, the
underestimate the power of meaningful
favoritism of mass distribution, the true test
connections made between ten, five, or two
of “success” for a piece of art?
people.
Just because it’s available on our iPhones, just because everyone can see it, is it “successful”? In my mind, being a theater artist means challenging agreed-upon definitions of this word. Acclaimed theater director Peter Brook writes, “I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across the empty space, whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all that is needed for an act of theater to be engaged.”
WILLA COLLEARY (SHE/HER) IS A BFA 2 PLAYWRIGHT
THEATRE SCHOOL PRODUCTION COVERAGE MOLE HILL STORIES: I BELIEVE IN TYA BY LIZ BAZZOLI
Why do all our productions need to be so
An assortment of massive, colorful flowers
depressing?
adorns the proscenium arch, complimented by a beautiful stained glass
I’ve heard my peers express this
motif. Projections and lighting make the
dissatisfaction with The Theatre School
world glow, capturing both the intensity of
many times over my past four years here.
a mid-day sun and the soft glow of a full
Coming out of the pandemic, students
moon. The costume designers even
want to work on shows that promote joy
capture Ehlert’s trademark bold, geometric
and lighten spirits. I understand the
style in patterned jumpsuits and large
impulse, but part of me balks at the notion
animal headpieces taken directly from her
that a compelling work of theatre can be
illustrations. The beautiful world that this
devoid of strife or struggle. Does drama not
play creates imbues its animal characters
require emotional hardship? It’s this bias
and their otherwise mundane routines—
that holds me back from seeing shows for
moles digging tunnels, birds collecting
young audiences.
seeds, foxes rolling in the grass—with grace and majesty.
Maybe it’s time I open my mind to new possibilities. Mole Hill Stories, by Alvaro Saar
But Mole Hill is more than just spectacle.
Rios, the first show of the 2023-2024 season,
Each of the stories in this play resonates
proves the strength of a joyful play.
beyond just their whimsy or aesthetic
Mole Hill Stories is an adaptation and
appeal. The play begins with the character
combination of three different books by
Fox who wants to dig a path from the lake
children’s author and illustrator Lois Ehlert:
that will give everybody access to water.
Mole’s Hill: A Woodland Tale, Cuckoo/Cucú:
But a molehill stands in his way. Failing to
A Mexican Folktale, and Moon Rope/Un
recognize that this molehill is Topo/Mole’s
Lazo a La Luna. Mole Hill Stories is a loving
home, Fox demands that she move it or he
homage to Ehlert, which I felt foremost in
will tear it down himself. She responds by
how the play looks. Respect for nature is
digging a tunnel underground so that the
central to all of Ehlert’s work, and this
water can travel beneath the hill instead of
production’s design highlights the beauty
through it. “Mi casa es tú casa,” she tells Fox.
of the flora and fauna in these stories.
After that, Fox makes up with Topo, and
Though some characters speak exclusively
the forest celebrates in what is only one of
in Spanish, and Topo herself sometimes
several song and dance sequences in the
acts as a translator for characters, the play
play. This story is an example of the value of
nonetheless prioritizes English in a way that
empathy and collaboration, but I also see
does not seem to create a completely
the specific conflict of one animal refusing
equitable experience across languages.
to recognize another’s use of the land. That feels even more substantial, especially
Yet Mole Hill compensates for this with a
considering that these stories draw
third language-- movement. The energy
inspiration from Mayan, Incan, and Seneca
and grace that the actors put into their
folk tales.
characters are lively. This is the most evident in the moments where actors are
The story of Cucú, a bird who is judged for
recreating the movement and rhythm of
his fixation on personal beauty and love for
the natural world: rising flames, breezes in
performing, echoes the dynamic between
the trees, and the rush of a river. Even the
Mole and Fox. Owl, who directs the birds in
smallest leaf or blade of grass receives due
seed harvesting, sees Cucú as a distraction
care and respect and has a moment to
but Cucú’s singing and dancing builds
shine.
team morale and keeps the work moving, which culminates in another musical
A play for young audiences requires strong
number that feels reminiscent of labor and
and creative physicality—this show even
folk musical practices. Once again, the story
more so with its depiction of non-human
encourages the audience to respect and
characters—and Mole Hill succeeds at that.
appreciate others’ differences but also
If anything, I wish there were more
emphasizes community solidarity against
moments built around dancing or
external, divisive pressures.
choreographed movement since these communicated just as much as, if not more
For all the ways that Mole Hill Stories does
than, either of the spoken languages.
honor Lois Ehlert and a sense of community strength, I do think there is one
I was surprised to hear at the post-show
component that could have been stronger
discussion that the playwright did not
and that is the incorporation of Spanish
originally consider these stories as having
alongside English. The program note
any moral or message. Mole Hill Stories is
emphasizes the play’s bilingualism—
only about forty minutes long, but it uses
“bilingualism was at the heart of this
its time well. The show is charming and
production,” it reads—as do marketing
smart. It dared me to be optimistic and
materials. Spanish is certainly a
reminded me that the theatre is a space for
fundamental component of the play, and
community-building. Why shouldn’t we
English-speaking and Spanish-speaking
strive to envision a better world on the
characters occupy the stories together, but
stage? Why shouldn’t we relish in even just
the play does not fully operate in both
forty minutes of happiness? I was there,
languages, as is the case in many of Ehlert’s
and I felt it. That is success enough.
books, including both Cuckoo/Cucú and Un Lazo a Luna.
LIZ BAZZOLI (HE/THEY) IS A BFA4 DRAMATURGY & DRAMATIC CRITICISM MAJOR FROM CLEVELAND, OHIO
WHEN THEATRE MAKES MUSIC BY CAMILLE PUGLIESE
Boom. Clap. Punch.
What troubled me was how overt the
“We’re making music, boy” Jay “The Sport”
themes became. The ensemble delivered
Jackson laughs. The rhythm of The Theatre
many of the strong social and political
School’s production of The Royale by Marco
messages directly to the audience rather
Ramirez is undeniable– it’s like music.
than to another person on stage. It was Brechtian in style, and I have questions
Boxing is at the center of the story,
whether or not the play needed this kind of
following Jay Jackson on his journey to
direction to be successful. It created a
become the first black heavyweight
distance between the actors and their
champion of the world while fighting Jim
characters which, for me, hindered the
Crow-era prejudice. The fights in the play
possibility of an emotional connection to
are highly stylized. They’re performed with
them.
both opponents facing the audience with punches aimed at the air directly in front of
When the play delivers its final blow, the
them, not at each other. Rhythm and
death of Jay's young and hopeful sparring
sound layer on top of the fight; a punch
partner, Fish, I didn’t feel the impact that
was matched with a boom in the sound
the story demands. His death was the
design and a clap from all of the company
result of racialized violence after Jay defeats
members onstage. Claps, booms, and
his white opponent. I want to believe an
punches became more rapid as the fight
audience is capable of understanding the
intensified, but they held strong to the
breadth of this tragedy without being
rhythm they established. The idea that
punched in the face.
boxing is like jazz comes up several times throughout the play. When punches were
There were moments where the play did
perfectly synchronized, the play began to
sing, though they weren’t until more than
feel like it was making its own jazz,
halfway through. The story felt clearest in
syncopated and delightful.
Jay’s sister Nina, played by Eva Jerkins (MFA 2) and Joshuah Mayo’s (BFA 3) portrayal of
I connected to how the play made music,
Wynton, Jay’s trainer. These characters did
but I struggled to find a connection to how
the most work of contextualizing the world
the play created meaning. The Royale is as
the play takes place in. I still can’t stop
much about boxing as it is about the social
thinking about the powerful monologue
context of the time period– I learned later
Mayo’s Wynton delivered about the Royale
that the play takes place between 1905 and
fights of his generation. These were
1910, though there was nothing in the
amateur boxing matches where they’d
program or in the play itself to tell the
blindfold young black men and put them
audience. Jay Jackson has to fight a system
in a boxing ring to fight until only one man
that is built for him to fail. Ramirez shows
was left standing. Mayo was able to capture
this through the looming presence of his
the layers of nuance effortlessly. I was
white manager, Max, who doubles as an
hooked on every line. I saw his pain, his fear,
announcer. This character forces the
his regret, and his resilience. It was a
audience to question the racist system Jay
reminder of the progress he’s seen
is fighting.
throughout his life, but the scars will never go away.
Nina’s character took on the heavy-lifting.
Music, to me, is most successful when all of
She comes to Jay hours before the fight
its parts work on their own, but create
and interrogates the question of whether
something almost magical when they’re
or not being the first black heavyweight
brought together. In that sense, The Royale
champion of the world is worth it. She
was like making music– it brought rhythm,
forewarns of the horror that would be
sound, and speech together to create
unleashed if Jay won.
something transformational. At its best moments, that’s exactly what this play did.
Her lines during the final fight are haunting: “In Memphis, somebody’s loading a pistol / Kansas City, a man couldn’t take it no more… he’s walkin out, barefoot, to get a rope from his tool shed /
CAMILLE PUGLIESE (SHE/HER) IS A BFA 4 DRAMATURGY & DRAMATIC CRITICISM MAJOR FROM MIDDLETOWN, NEW JERSEY
Somewhere close, there’s a nervous hand flirting with the grip of a knife.” She delivers them between Jay as he fights his invisible opponent and the audience– a moment that fought against naturalism and won.
SEAGULL BY ARTEMIS WESTOVER
If a theatre is producing The Seagull in
The furniture, built elements, and costumes
2023 then I would like to leave the theatre
blended in well, creating a focused but not
knowing why.
too specific late-eighteen-hundreds-ness that was beautiful but not distracting.
Why this play? Why here? Why now?
Constantine and Yakov busied themselves setting up the stage by the lake as the
These questions have reached a level of
audience entered the house, rowdy for a
ubiquity at The Theatre School that can
Wednesday night. The lights dim as they
become a punchline. It is easy to forget
always do, and the play begins.
how essential they are. I liked Seagull. It was funny and pretty and a perfectly
I have always found Constantine’s play to
pleasant night out at the theatre. But I
be a puzzle when considering how to
can’t help but feel like I wanted more. I
present it to a modern audience. Famously
wanted to know why, in 2023, was The
he declares that the theatre must have
Theatre School producing The Seagull?
new forms and he rails against the “high priests of art in that room with three walls
My first impressions of the stage were
showing us how people eat, drink, and
beautiful. The set was framed by a forest of
wear their jackets”. Chekhov’s work, and the
canvas trees, and the soft sunset light on
work of his frequent collaborator
the backdrop made the world look like a
Konstantin Stanislavsky, were radical new
watercolor painting. The play maintained
forms of their time. Now naturalism is the
these dreamy visuals throughout.
foundation on which contemporary theatre is built.
At the same time, so much has changed
I attended on a night when the audience
about the way form is used in theatre that
was vocal, and many moments that could
it makes creating Constantine's play a
play sad or intense received laughter, or
challenge to stage. It should feel new(ish)
loud ooohs, like a crowd at a sketch show.
to the audience, without being too out-
At intermission I chatted with some fellow
there that it becomes comical.
students who describe the play as “camp” and “soap-opera-y” and while I didn't totally
Corrin's production presented the play
agree, I found it interesting that The
within a play as half childlike shadow
Seagull was the play eliciting this response.
puppet show and half a somewhat
That is not to say I wouldn't love to see a
standard monologue that breaks the fourth
campy, soaped-up interpretation of The
wall when Nina, looking like a somewhat
Seagull, but that is simply not what this
alien bridal figure with a white dress,
production was. This production was a very
flowers, and a gold halo-crown, walks
good production of The Seagull, the
through the on-stage audience. This
performances were good, the visuals were
surprises the other characters, such as Irina,
pretty, and the audience enjoyed
who exclaims “don’t make eye contact!”
themselves both times I saw it, but that
But for modern theatergoers, this move is
was all.
known. Contemporary theatre has not yet done away with the fourth wall, but it has
Let us return to those questions:
made it into something closer to a beaded
Why this play? Why here? Why now?
curtain, a barrier no doubt, but an extremely permeable one mostly just
This production did not answer any of
placed there to gesture at separation. The
these questions. It was missing a take.
play doesn't have the impact I wanted. It
There are so many questions I have about
doesn't feel new. Yes, Constantine is an
this text. What compels these people to
immature artist who hasn't yet found his
stay in an environment that makes them so
voice, but he is on to something. Or he
unhappy? Their houses, their careers, their
should be, this production doesn't make
spouses, and their lovers, all make them
me so sure.
unhappy and yet something compels them to stay. I have wanted so badly to know for
We quickly meet our ensemble. A strange
so long what that is. As a dramaturg, I know
bunch of Russian landowners, their staff,
that it is always a challenge to make sure
and a few others who frequently hang
that the questions discussed in the
around. A doctor, Yevgeny, who cares for
rehearsal room make it out onto the stage,
the aging matriarch Ulyana, a
but there is a feeling when a show knows
schoolteacher, Semyon, who seems to
itself. Dean Corrin’s Seagull was a good
spend lots of time pining for Masha and
production, but it didn't know itself like I
moping about his meager salary, and Boris
wish it had.
Trigorin, the star novelist from Moscow, staying at the country estate as Irina
ARTEMIS WESTOVER (THEY/THEM) IS
Arkadina’s lover and status symbol. None of
A BFA 4 DRAMATURGY & DRAMATIC
these are easy roles, long and complicated
CRITICISM MAJOR
Russian names, and the occasional muddiness of translation provides a host of stumbling points that were taken in stride by all parties.
Special thanks to: Rachel Shteir, Supervising Editor Martine Kei Green-Rogers, Dean of The Theatre School