The Grappler - Spring 2024

SPRING 2024

THE GRAPPLER

THE ‘NEW AND NOW’ISSUE

TABLE OF CONTENTS A Note from the Editors Camille Pugliese, Liz Bazzoli, LeeAnne Nakamura, and Katherine Shuert Pop Culture on the Japanese Stage LeeAnne Nakamura The Pro-Shot Problem Katherine Shuert Writer’s Block: Creating Something From Nothing Isha Pati Theatrical Model for an Ecological Future Molly Sharfstein TTS Production Coverage A Midsummer Night’s Dream Liz Bazzoli Ascension Camille Pugliese

FALL 2023 / EARLY WINTER 2024

A NOTE FROM YOUR EDITORS CAMILLE PUGLIESE, LIZ BAZZOLI, LEEANNE NAKAMURA, AND KATE SHUERT

Dearest Grapplers,

And just like that, the 2023-2024 academic school year comes to an end. We hope that everyone has pushed through their final exams and assignments, and may we all now enjoy this respite from the DePaul quarter system grind.We would like to thank all of you for your support during this first year of The Grappler in its new format. We’ve been so glad to see the community engagement from current students and alumni on our social media, and it’s been a pleasure getting to work alongside the new and familiar faces among our team of writers. We even made our first-ever appearance at Wrights of Spring this year, with The Grappler hosting two events in Playwrights Central just last month. When the two of us decided to take this leap with the publication last year, we did so in the hope that The Grappler would become more involved with the TTS community and better reflect the experiences of conservatory students. With hard work, perseverance, and community support, The Grappler has certainly proven itself this year. As we both travel beyond the doors of DePaul, we have every reason to believe that the future will only continue to bring great things for this publication.

How can we speak with such confidence about the future of The Grappler?

Well, because we’re leaving it in good hands. Please welcome your 2024-2025 editors of The Grappler, LeeAnne Nakamura and Katherine Shuert!

LeeAnne: Hello, Grapplers! I’m so excited to be one of your Co-Editors next year!

Since I joined The Grappler, I’ve had the pleasure of conducting interviews, writing articles, and reviewing productions. I cannot wait to step into this role and work with everyone as we go through the pitching, writing, and editing process each quarter to create the articles you envisioned. Next year, I certainly will bring my fandom-loving, niche-enthusiast self to this role, and I hope to create an environment that encourages everyone to embrace this same energy in their work too!

Katherine: Hello, Grapplers! I am over the moon about coming on as one of the CoEditors for The Grappler next year. Writing for The Grappler has been quite the experience for me so far, and I’m eager to continue in this new role. Writing for The Grappler has been some of the most intimidating and most rewarding work I’ve done at TTS. In the course of the last two years, writing for The Grappler has given me space to discover and develop my voice and confidence. I cannot be more proud to take on the duty of continuing the integrity of this publication. In my forthcoming time as CoEditor, I hope to help many others in their writing journey develop their voice and their confidence in the way I know writing for The Grappler can.

It’s quite fitting for us to discuss the future of The Grappler, because the future is precisely what we want to talk about in this final issue of the year! In the first two quarters of this year, we tasked writers with thinking about the now: what excites them about the work that they do and what that work looks like for them. In this Spring Quarter issue, however, we want to think about what’s on the horizon. What does the future hold in store for us, and what are we looking forward to? With the arrival of summer, we are all entering new stages of our lives. For some of us, this may just be a chance at a fresh start when Fall Quarter rolls around in September. For others, graduation is opening the doors to the sublime expanse of endless opportunity. In this publication, our writers share their anticipations with joy and anxiety, accordingly. We also bring you reviews of this quarter’s mainstage productions, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and BFA Playwright Jeffery Luke Baker’s Ascension.

Thank you once again to all of our Grapplers for your support this year and all years. It’s been quite the journey. Enjoy your summer! The Grappler will await your return.

“So, on your patience evermore attending, New joy wait on you! Here our play has ending.”

- Pericles Act V, Scene III

POP CULTURE ON THE JAPANESE STAGE

BY LEEANNE NAKAMURA

The way pop culture and theatre merge in

The National Noh Theatre in Tokyo and the

Japan excites me because there appears to

National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka continue to

be an acceptance of these two forms

perform traditional styles of Japanese theatre.

coexisting together, that it is almost

The Shiki Theatre Company specializes in

natural. This merge between Japanese

staging family-oriented musicals from

popular culture and theatre led to the

Broadway and the West End, such as Cats and

creation of the 2.5D Musical Association, a

several Disney Theatrical productions. And the

company who specializes in adaptations of

company that first caught my attention, Toho

“Japanese manga, popular animations, and

Stage, who produce shows in a similar manner

video games,” according to their website.

to regional theatres in America.

Their work reflects a greater trend in Japan of adapting these types of source material,

Before learning about 2.5D Musical Association,

balancing “2D the realm of manga,

it was Toho Stage that first caught my

animation and video games, and 3D the

attention with its stage adaptations. But why

realm of the theater.” Like adaptations

do these stage plays make me excited in a way

aimed for Broadway or the West End, these

that I rarely feel anymore towards the

productions often adapt the most popular

Broadway bound musical adaptation?

stories. However, from an outsider’s perspective, they rarely feel like a cash-

Is it because I am more familiar with the

grab.

source material?

Possibly, but that’s not always the case.

My growing interest in the 2.5 dimensional stage play led me to further explore Japan’s

Is it because of the content of the source

theatre scene and how it differs from

material?

American/Western theatre. What I found

Well, with some adaptations, I would say yes

was a theatre scene, with several hubs

since the content and genre of a story may

throughout the country, that offers a

push the boundary of what can be staged.

variety of programs and performance styles, honoring theatrical traditions from

Is it because of their performance schedule?

the past and innovating the form in the

Yes!

present.

Personally, the stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away perfectly encapsulates all the points of why these adaptations excite me.

I had not watched the animated film before seeing the staged recording last year, and yet, I understood the enormity of the world Chihiro, the protagonist of Spirited Away, enters. The adaptation’s use of puppets and practical effects

Since I found this quality in other stage plays, I believe it is due to these theatre makers’ intent to create an adaptation worthy of fans' approval and honors the source material that allows them to lean into the more playful aspects of theatre.

(projections too in a few key moments) to answer the question of how to bring the audience into a spirit world, sitting at the end of a tunnel, hidden in the forest, blew me away. The array of puppets and costumes that bring to life the supernatural characters of Spirited Away demonstrate how an ensemble of non-human, or human-sized, beings can be adapted to the stage without it feeling cheap or tacky.

The performance structure most Japanese theatre companies utilize also interests me because it supports works in rotation, rather than only the most popular shows.

At least with Toho Stage, each show runs for a set time ranging from a few weeks to a few months. And if there’s enough What I also admire about the stage adaptation of Spirited Away is the element of play, of acknowledgement that what happens on stage cannot be treated (or viewed) as a realistic representation of the world.

One of the side characters is literally a frog, there’s a giant baby, and the character known as No-Face is little more than a shadow in most scenes. Adapting these characters to the stage could become jarring or laughable if trying to present a serious theatre production. But it’s not, and the acceptance of showing the actors behind these effects purposefully breaks the illusion that what is happening on stage is not meant to represent the real world.

demand, a production may be restaged in the following years, oftentimes with the same cast. One example of this is with Spirited Away, which originally premiered in 2022, and returned to the stage in summer 2023 and spring 2024. Toho Stage’s presentation of Moulin Rouge the Musical, which premiered last summer in Japan, will also receive this same treatment as it returns to the stage for a limited run this year. With a handful of theatre hubs located throughout the country as opposed to a single theatre district, comparable to Broadway or the West End, the circulation of high quality shows interests me because popular shows receive multiple limited engagements instead of open-ended runs that may take space away from lesser known shows.

Looking beyond Spirited Away, how each

Because of my growing interest in

creative team tackles the impossible

Japanese stage plays, the recent

moments of their adaptation excites me. Last

announcement that Attack on Titan: The

year’s musical adaptation of the Spy x Family

Musical will make its international and U.S.

manga brought to life some of its fight

debut this fall at New York City Center

sequences using an action double for one

immediately grabbed my attention. I am

character, with lighting and props working

curious what kind of reception this

together to hide the switches between the

production will receive since the source

different actresses. Using several previously

material stands apart from the stories

discussed elements, action doubles, puppets,

currently told on Broadway. And because

projections, and a fully-committed ensemble

this production will be presented in

worked together in another manga stage

Japanese with English subtitles, I wonder

adaptation, this time with Chainsaw Man, to

how audiences will react, given the

create fight scenes that were unlike anything

relationship American audiences have with

I can recall in American theatre. In concept

musicals performed in additional

alone, a stage adaptation of the anime SK8

languages, such as K-POP (performed

the Infinity intrigued me since its story

partially in Korean) or the 2009 revival of

revolves around an underground skating

West Side Story (which opened with some

competition. But using similar methods of

lines translated into Spanish, before they

projections and ensemble support, this

were later changed back to English).

adaptation’s balance of live skateboarding,

Depending on the reception Attack on

actor safety, and the limitations of a

Titan: The Musical receives in New York,

proscenium stage made me admire how this

this could start a new tradition of bringing

creative team took that first step to try

Japanese stage plays to the U.S. or marking

adapting something rarely seen on stage,

their English language debuts. And with

even if it left me wanting more.

the growing adoption of anime and manga into America’s pop culture, these stage adaptations could potentially invite new audiences to the theatre. As I continue looking into Japan’s theatre scene, what interests me the most if additional stage plays were to make their U.S. debut is how their performance structure may adapt to or potentially challenge existing Western theatre traditions, including how long a show runs, what stories are told, and how tech and actors can work as one.

LEEANNE NAKAMURA (SHE/HER) IS A BFA3 DRAMATURGY & DRAMATIC CRITICISM MAJOR FROM LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA

THE PRO-SHOT PROBLEM

BY KATHERINE SHUERT

We spend so much time at this school

For just one example (though I could

talking about how theatre brings people

provide many), I went to see a recording of

together. Not just emotionally, but

the Dutch National Ballet’s Giselle with the

physically. It brings us into communion

amazing Olga Smirnova at my local movie

with each other. It is a singular moment

theatre. I never thought I’d have the

produced by the specific people sharing a

opportunity to see her dance outside of

particular place with the given

low-quality youtube clips, but there I was,

circumstances of that time. Theatre is

watching her perform the titular role in one

human; it lives and breathes and changes

the canon’s most beloved ballets,

every night. It means something to be

comfortably reclined in one of those big red

there. So, in a world where nearly

movie-theatre chairs for the low price of

everything is available at our fingertips

$15.99.

(forgive the cliche), the theatre is still something you must go to. Or it was.

I must concede, I know it will never replace the real thing. The splendor of live

But we cannot always be there for

performance can never be replicated

everything we would like to be. Shows we

through a screen, however large. Yet, I

would like to see sell out, open and close in

cannot discount the benefits of these pro-

two weeks, cost an arm and a leg, or

shots. They provide access to high quality

happen an ocean away. I couldn’t be at The

theatre at a fraction of the cost and bring

National Theatre in London to see Andrew

theatre into the homes of people who can’t

Scott’s one man Vanya and, if I was luckier,

make it to the brick-and-mortar structures,

I might have snagged a ticket to see the

local or otherwise, for any number of health

recorded pro-shot of the performance at

concerns. It is truly a beautiful thing to be

the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago

able to share theatre across continents with

later this month.

the touch of a button.

It’s for moments like this I am glad that

Growing up, archival recordings were a rare

high quality recordings of live

commodity that only a few could even get

performances are becoming more widely

their hands on. Ten years ago, if I wanted to

available. At least, I think I am. There’s so

see a play, chances are I was racing to

much amazing theatre accessible to me in

watch some grainy bootleg online before it

our city, and now even more amazing

got taken down for copyright infringement.

theatre available to me worldwide through

Ethically dubious as they were, that is what

the emergence of more and more pro-

was available to me.

shots.

Then more and more pro-shots started

So, while I have no shame in shelling out

cropping up. First the big name musicals -

ten dollars here and there to rent

Newsies, Shrek, Hamilton - these were

something from the National Theatre’s

more than just movie musical adaptations,

Theatre at Home archive, I fear the

they were real theatre (or as close as I

implications of a theatre-as-Netflix culture

could get to it). I remember when the

on theatre as we know it. With pro-shots

Hamilton pro-shot was released on

gaining more and more traction as a

Disney+. Non theatre people, who had

legitimate form of theatre viewing, I

never shown any interest in seeing a play

question the legacy it will leave behind.

or musical, were inviting people over to watch together. Speaking from personal

But theatre is special because it is live.

experience, I have had much greater

So the future of theatre cannot be

success with getting the non-theatre

online, can it?

people in my life to have a night in on the couch, watching a play on my TV, than I

I see the cinematic sensibility infiltrating

ever have with getting them to really go

the pro-shot, inching further and further

out to the theatre. At the risk of upsetting

away from a faithful record of a theatrical

some people, the same is often true for the

performance. More come closer to films

theatre people in my life.

now, just made on theater’s stage, rather than a sound stage. Changing camera

Now there are full streaming services

angles, close up shots, and other

dedicated to providing high quality theatre

traditional features of film editing enhance

content online - Broadway HD, National

the digital viewing experience of

Theatre Collection, Digital Theatre,

something that was never meant to be

Marquee TV, and the traditional streaming

digital in the first place. Theatre has its own

sites we’ve become accustomed to. With

methods of directing the viewer’s

technology improving, more and more

attention. These filmed enhancements

high profile companies and productions

disrupt the theatrical craft, overriding it

are taking advantage of the exposure that

with the methods of a different medium.

pro-shots provide, allowing shows to be seen long after close.

If pro-shots become the dominantly accessible form of theatre, what image of theatre are they portraying? What image are they leaving behind?

Like any good dramaturg, I care about the archives. And like any good theatre person, I love that magical ephemeral quality that separates theatre from film. Pro-shots can never and will never replace the experience of live theatre, but I still want theatre to be recorded. It may be antithetical to want to preserve a piece of art that in its nature can never be replicated, but I still think it is important.

We need high quality recordings in the archives and we need archival quality recordings more accessible to the public.

Recordings of theatre, not films of it.

Pro-shots should still look and feel like a

Pro-shots recorded in front of a live

play, even (and perhaps especially) if that

audience curb some of these cinematic

means simplifying the cinematography.

tendencies. It retains some sense of

There is no cinematography on a play’s

community, some sense of a collective and

stage. No one gets to change seats for the

shared moment. The preservation of the

ideal perspective scene by scene. There is

audience within these recordings is a

no playing to the camera. When an actor

reminder that theatre does not happen on

performs on stage, they need to balance

a screen. The gasps and laughs of an

playing to the whole audience, so we

audience remind you that this is simply a

cannot reduce the entire audience to a

recording, not its intended final form.

singular camera lens that receives the privilege of being the only one in the room.

Theatre is rarely done for an audience of one.

KATHERINE SHUERT (SHE/HER) IS A BFA2 DRAMATURGY & DRAMATIC CRITICISM MAJOR FROM LOMBARD, IL

WRITER’S BLOCK: CREATING SOMETHING FROM NOTHING

BY ISHA PATI

I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer. I

I think part of what makes writing so awful

don’t think anyone has always known they

is that once you call it done it’s permanent.

wanted to be a comedian.

There is none of the freedom and forgiveness that audiences grant you with

I learned fairly recently that the majority of

an ephemeral thing like live performance.

my Comedy Arts classmates call

The seconds pass the way the seconds do

themselves performers first, which

and the audience must take it in as it

surprised me because to me performance

comes. A reader can examine, scrutinize,

has always been the part of comedy you

process more deeply with the control they

have to do until you make it big enough for

have over the way they consume the piece.

your jokes to be performed by other

In an improv show, the act of material

people.

generation is itself the feat. You can get away with a little plot mistake or a not-

It’s often said that there are two kinds of

quite-right rhyme because holy shit, you

comedians. What these groups are called

just came up with that? Wow, and you’re

depends on who you’re talking to— head

still going.

players vs. heart players, structure people vs. vibes people. Basically what I think it

But something that can be poured over

boils down to is writers vs. performers. It’s a

must be poured over in its creation.

spectrum, of course, but most people have a tendency towards one or the other. To

The best sentences are four sentences all

me, comedy is a series of algorithmic

condensed into one. To write one page you

decisions that lead you to the Funniest

have to fill five. When a blank screen is

Possible Thing. Other people seem to be

staring you in the face it feels like you’re

able to just find the premise and follow the

already thousands of words in debt. What

laughs once they get it in their body. In

do you do when the task is just to create?

order to succeed, you have to be able to do both.

The most daunting thing can be not

1. GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD.

knowing where to begin, partly because

Stop digging. For a story at least. Think

inspiration seems to be something over

about anything at all that exists outside

which we humans have very little control. I

the confines of your skull. You’re never

once had a friend tell me she feels like

creating something out of nothing, you’re

there’s a creative tap in her mind, and that

just finding a way to fit together all the

someone comes by every once in a while to

pieces that have already been there.

just turn it off.

2. GET INTO YOUR BODY. The answer seems simple, right? Dig

Exercise, go on a walk, take some breaths.

deeper inside your head. If you cut and cut

Do something completely mindless or try

and hack and hack and scrape up your

writing by hand. Your body knows you

arms while you use all your strength to claw

better than your mind does, and the best

your way through to that nugget of idea

writing comes from feelings, not thoughts.

you just know is hiding in there, then

Feel the space you occupy and see what

eventually you’ll strike gold, because you’re

comes out.

sure that somewhere in the vast black void where your ideas usually live is a whole

3. JOURNAL.

story that just needs to tell you how to write

Say what you want about creativity,

it.

originality, ideas, sparks— the truth is you’re never creating something out of

Problem is if you’re searching through

nothing because you’re creating

nothing I can give you a pretty good guess

something from you. You’ll find parts of

of what you’re going to find.

yourself in your writing even if you didn’t mean to put them there.

Writing as an art form offers none of the forgiveness that the ephemerality of live

People often think writing and storytelling

performance seems to provide.

is about escaping this world and getting yourself into the headspace of a character

A survey of TTS students revealed a wide

that isn’t you. Frequently the solution to

variety of experiences with writer’s block

exploring another reality is to understand

and strategies to not let the blank page

your own. Being mindful, present, and

win. The main commonality between

introspective allows you to fully take stock

answers was that it’s not something that

of all that is around and inside of you. All

can be forced away or powered through.

you need is one thing to latch on to and

Writer’s block is an all-encompassing, all-

your instincts can handle a lot of the rest.

consuming affliction that lives in the deepest parts of your brain— the parts you have to chop through walls of vines with a machete to access and even then are hidden behind brambles that only grow back when cut. But it doesn’t last forever.

We asked you all for your tips on how to accelerate that process. Here’s what you said.

4. READ SOMETHING COMPLETELY

I came into college all but knowing I would

RANDOM.

never set foot on a stage once I graduated.

A niche essay, a gossip magazine, literally a

Over the past three years my mind has

cookbook— anything that’s not the genre

changed. There’s a feeling you get from

you’re trying to write. Destress, get away

testing material in front of a live audience,

from the thing that’s causing you

or performing it with a group of people, a

problems right now, and let concept find

kind of sureness about your words that I’ve

you.

never got by writing “the perfect thing.”

Words are meant to be heard and felt and

5. STOP WAITING. WRITE ANYTHING.

human beings cannot always feel the way

It doesn’t matter what you’re thinking right

they show up in a piece until it hits other

now. If you write it down, you’ve written

people’s ears. It’s why we so often don’t

something. Over 50% of student

realize a friend’s situation applies to us

respondents said they experienced writer’s

until we’re explaining it to someone else.

block weekly or more. Sometimes all you

Other real, physical people allow us to

can do is push through. You’re a writer. Just

examine ourselves in a way words alone

keep doing it. It’s impressive enough to

cannot. And in order to succeed, you have

create anything at all.

to be able to do both.

------

The great thing about theatre is the human connection. I am one hundred

My advice for anyone who’s experiencing

percent sure that this can begin before the

their weekly-on-average bout of writer’s

rehearsal process.

block right now is to stop writing. Get as far away from the page as possible and

ISHA PATI (SHE/HER) IS A BFA 3

perform your piece, to a friend or to

COMEDY ARTS MAJOR, FROM

yourself in a mirror, to the best of your

WOODSIDE, CA

ability. The things you forget are natural edits. You’ll be able to feel all the possibilities once the material is in your body and the creation is happening now.

A THEATRICAL MODEL FOR AN ECOLOGICAL FUTURE

BY MOLLY SHARFSTEIN

MOLLY SHARSTEIN’S DIVE PHOTO

Introduction:

Hypothesis:

If you have talked to me you have

Theatre and science are both efforts to

probably heard me discuss this before. As

understand the world. They take a question,

a Northern Californian and SCUBA diver, I

experiment with it, get results, formulate

grew up sandwiched between redwood

new questions, and continue to experiment.

forests and a rich kelp forest ecosystem.

We get our hands dirty to comprehend and

Because that was the only place I had

interpret existence. Using theatre to

lived until Chicago, I focused more on

communicate science (sponsored message:

internalities in theatre. After coming to

which I am exploring in the Studio for

Chicago, I feel the lack of nature like a

Creative Practice class) illuminates scientific

lack of oxygen. I wondered how I could

concepts through embodiment—creating

combine my love of nature (especially the

learning opportunities for different learners,

ocean) with my love for creating theatre.

encompassing the experience of being deep

While this mainly came from taking a

in real environments, and connecting nature

puppetry class and realizing most

with our social structures. In contrast,

puppets move like sea creatures,

placing human stories outside in

combined with reading Adrienne Maree

ecoscenographic, outdoor site-specific

Brown’s Emergent Strategy (which uses

performances grounds humans in our world.

nature as a model for community

Placing both in conversation paints a full

organizing), I have since formulated a

picture of our relationships to the world we

more concrete vision:

live in for participants and audiences.

Materials:

Methods:

Puppetry - Puppetry connects people and

Outside-Inside:

objects, building relationships between the

Science museums, aquariums, and state

human and inhuman. Puppets represent

parks communicate scientific information

living things without requiring a human to

to visitors, crafting nature’s narrative.

embody them. They allow for stylized but

However, nature education mainly focuses

accurate artistic representations of the

on science alone and what visitors can see.

natural world, and avoid the “person in an

If science institutions incorporate theatre,

animal costume” style productions (which

they can widen their range of

also bind concepts to a specific person and

interpretation and understanding. Because

de-universalizes them; puppetry expresses

theatre is embodied, it connects seemingly

experiences from all of that animal or

disparate natural scientific processes with

phenomena, using specificity to tell

ourselves. Theatre shows long spans of

universal and non-psychological stories).

time, speeds up eternity, zooms in on microscopic and macroscopic organisms,

Movement - There are phenomena that our

and turns understanding into a physical

constructed language cannot encompass

and emotional experience. I am interested

or accessibly portray, which pushes science

in a theatrical model that (beautifully,

communication over the general public.

sustainably, collaboratively, and

Movement is its own language that

interactively) portrays our world. A process

communicates relationships and patterns

that uses theatrical tools, such as puppetry

—integrating movement (combined with

and movement, to tell nature’s story.

puppetry) shares information using visual language.

In this model, artists collaborate with

Using the same movement across science

scientists to portray their research. Using

and human pieces creates a shared

scientific journals and information directly

language, which can bridge our social

from scientists, the ensemble constructs a

structures, human relationships with

piece that physicalizes the scientific

nature, and the natural science itself

concept. Scientists can check to make sure

through embodiment alone.

it is accurate. The science institution then integrates the piece as public

Dramaturgy - Understanding complex

programming. Artists perform inside the

scientific concepts and our relationships to

institution’s space, either in a designated

them requires robust dramaturgy.

performance area or among the exhibits

Effectively communicating with

(which I support). Productions are non-

researchers; digesting their information;

psychological and non-human, focusing on

communicating it clearly, accurately, and

communicating the phenomena itself

beautifully to both the team and

rather than applying human moralizations

audiences; and expanding with audiences

or including messages about scientists.

is a dramaturg’s job. Dramaturgs can bind the human and inhuman stories, as we find threads in all aspects of our lives. In this process, everyone must consciously be a dramaturg.

Inside-Outside:

Walkthrough:

Science theatre means bringing the

Scientists and artists collaborate to create

outside indoors, but it discards human-

a production about wildfires’ impact on

centered and “internal” theatre. On the

forest-dwelling bugs. It is interactive and

other side of this theatrical model, human-

targeted towards adults, but whimsical

based theatrical works rehearse and

and puppet-based. Audiences go to the

perform in outdoor spaces directly

local natural history museum, where they

connected to their story. Human

sit in a circle inside the exhibits and watch

experiences are also part of nature—

bug puppets respond to a gestural

creating site-specific and nature-based

flashing fire. After the show, audiences

performances environmentally grounds

discuss what they’ve learned.

“internal” stories. Outdoor, site-specific works would be in conversation with the

Meanwhile, an ensemble of local artists

indoor, scientific works. Members of both

(possibly some of the same people as the

creative teams would intertwine, learning

bug play) goes to the nearby forest and

about each to connect them. Productions

devises a play about how recent and

would also be paired with discussions,

historic wildfires affected their

expert panels, and public programming

communities. It is entirely outdoors and

(such as nature walks). I am always working

site-specific. It mirrors the bug play.

with a civic dramaturgical practice, so

Audiences come to the forest and sit in a

productions would be created by and

circle outside, watching performers move

about the communities they are based in. If

between the real trees with the same

a production is in a forest, productions

gestural flashing fire. They share the same

should center people’s specific relationship

dirt, smelling the real redwood trees and

to the forest in some way; local

remembering smoke in the air during fire

artists/audiences (especially Indigenous

season. They might recognize their own

community members) would contribute

stories or their grandparent’s stories—

their experiences and relationships.

maybe this is a verbatim piece.

OR An aquarium does a production about octopus mothers and how they do not eat while they protect their eggs. They die shortly after their eggs hatch. Audiences watch near the octopus tank. Meanwhile, actors perform a production of Celine Song’s Endlings on the beach. Endlings explores haenyeo (Korean diving women), immigrant mother-daughter relationships, the White American Theatre, and imminent death in the ocean.

Conclusion: Inside/Outside theatre can bring new collaborators and audiences into both science and theatre, because it breaks down boundaries for both. It expands scientific understandings for adults, bridges people and nature, and illuminates new facets of the world we live in. I do not entirely know how it could change our comprehension, but both fields constantly grow and change— combining them is my effort to understand my world. As I find my way back to the trees and water that nourished me, I strive to combine my worlds to nourish everyone.

MOLLY SHARFSTEIN (ANY PRONOUNS) IS A BFA 3 THEATRE ARTS MAJOR, WITH A CONCENTRATION IN DIRECTING, FROM SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA

THEATRE SCHOOL PRODUCTION COVERAGE A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM: HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU

BY LIZ BAZZOLI

“Let anyone feel the urge to transform

Uniquely beloved among Shakespeare’s

himself and to speak out of other bodies

comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream has

and souls, and he will be a dramatist.” Such

a special place in many hearts and even more

is the description Friedrich Nietzsche gives

annual Shakespeare-in-the-park lineups. But

in his Birth of Tragedy for the root impulse

the play’s ubiquity is not without reason. Next

of the theatre. Actors enter the stage not as

to Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s

themselves in settings not their own. The

Dream is one of the more accessible works in

audience, through suspension of disbelief,

Shakespeare’s repertoire, possessing a

similarly maintains the illusion. What was

whimsy that can charm even the most

once sheer cloth or painted wood becomes

determined Shakespeare critic in its

the palace of Corinth or the mountains of

audience. After all, what is Midsummer but a

Thebes, and it’s this shared capacity for

classic example of the romantic comedy?

imagination that gives theatre its historic

Young Athenian Hermia, balking at her

might. “Magic transformation,” Nietzsche

father’s demand to marry Demetrius, escapes

writes, “is the presupposition of all dramatic

into the woods of Athens to elope with her

art.”

lover, Lysander. A spurned Demetrius pursues her, only to be similarly hunted after

Magic transformation is certainly both the

by his own admirer and childhood friend of

figurative and literal task at hand for

Hermia, Helena. Deep in the woods of Athens,

William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer

beyond the purview of men, our four young

Night’s Dream, as TTS students found out

lovers become entwined in the fairy

for themselves during the school’s recent

kingdom’s nuptial spat. By the hand of one

production this past May.

mischievous Robin Goodfellow, lovers turn into traitors, friends to rivals, and men to asses.

And of course, amidst this chaos, seemingly

While this Fleming adaptation has all the

right where they belong, a theatre troupe is in

basic components of A Midsummer Night’s

rehearsal. Rivalry, miscommunication, and

Dream, I do think that it feels noticeably

sexual tension. These are the essential plot

empty in any scene that is not purely

elements that lend the play its comedy. The

comedic. Scenes with the most obvious

primary task of any Midsummer production is

humor, like those between Nick Bottom

indeed to be funny, but this is often easier said

and the Mechanicals, are presented almost

than done when working with a text over five

in their original entirety and for this reason

hundred years old. Shakespeare’s occasional

are among the best in the play. Scenes that

long-windedness and love for elaboration has

are comparatively less funny, like the early

a way of dulling even his funniest punchlines,

exchanges establishing the nature of

at least by today’s comedic conventions. But

Hermia and Lysander’s relationship, suffer

this was one of the great benefits of the recent

more extensive cuts. This comes at the

production of Midsummer here at The Theatre

expense of our love quadrangle, whom I

School: it didn’t use Shakespeare’s original

think lack the depth that a less abbreviated

text. Rather, this production utilized Don

text may have granted them. Furthermore,

Fleming’s Plays for New Audiences script

I don’t think these characters are helped by

which, while cutting no scenes entirely, greatly

the decision to give them strangely

abbreviates the original to a tight 60-minute

adolescent designs not befitting their

run time, an incredible feat of transformation

respective situations. Even in moments of

in and of itself.

shock and betrayal, like Helena’s famous “Lo, she is one of this confederacy”

Though I was initially skeptical of such a

monologue, the physical comedy

drastic carving out of the text, I found that this

happening between background

adaptation maintained all the natural comedy

characters diminishes or entirely distracts

of Shakespeare’s original, only now with a style

from any tenderness or hurt between

of delivery that feels a bit more familiar and

them. I would even venture to say this

accessible. I’ve said in the past that I tend to

adaptation has a lack of Puck, the locus of

avoid shows for young audiences at TTS

whimsy in this play. So, while noticeably

because I simply don’t feel like the target

Midsummer, this adaptation nonetheless

demographic for them, but this production

feels at times like only the essence of

was the first I’ve seen that felt truly for all ages.

Midsummer, comparatively less fleshed-out

I was fortunate enough to see it twice—one

than its full antecedent.

matinee performance for Chicago high schoolers and prospective DePaul students,

Whatever the text sacrifices, though, the

and the final Sunday performance filled with

design of this show restores. In the spirit of

current TTS students and alumni. In both

magical transformation, designers have

cases, despite differences in age and familiarity

created a wonderfully charming wood in

with the content, the audience was roaring

the Watts that’s full of the mystery and

with laughter and egging the characters on in

aura our characters espouse. I mentioned

their messiest of pursuits.

that I disliked the designs of the main couples, but I say this because the design of every other character is absolutely stunning by comparison. Oberon especially looked like a Bacchant right out of a painting by Rubens.

The gentle musical orchestrations, paths of

The joy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is that

twinkling lights along the stage’s thrust, and

it reminds us of the inherent magic of theatre-

watercolor-like delicacy of the projection

making. From the outright mystical

design beautifully enhanced the transitions,

capabilities of Puck to the charming

transforming these crucial elements of a play

amateurish attempts at effects by the

into their own storytelling moments rather

Mechanicals, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is

than purely practical pauses in action. I must

its own self-reflexive celebration of

also say that with this show, Killing of a

imagination and the transformative potentials

Gentleman Defender, Is God Is, and Mole Hill

of the theatre. In watching this specific

Stories, this has been quite the year for

production, I was reminded of both the great

projection design, and I hope to see this trend

successes and limitations of this

of visual elevation continue in shows to come.

transformation. Though at times in disagreement with the show and its choices, I appreciate its ambition. Ultimately, to have been affected to laugh at all in times such as these is a worthwhile transformation, even if only momentarily.

LIZ BAZZOLI (HE/THEY) IS A BFA4 DRAMATURGY & DRAMATIC CRITICISM MAJOR FROM CLEVELAND, OHIO

PLAYWRIGHTS ASCENDING

BY CAMILLE PUGLIESE

Each year since 2004, a graduating

At the same time, Anya, Felix’s wife,

playwright’s work is chosen to receive a

prepares to put on a play as part of a big

world premiere production at The Theatre

celebration at the church. The play isn’t

School. This turned into the New Play

your average Christmans pageant, though.

Series, produced every following year along

It’s a retelling of the biblical Abraham and

with the traditional Wrights of Spring

Isaac with a twist– Abraham disobeys God.

Festival. This is my favorite part of the TTS school year. Working on NPS last year,

As the play progresses, Matthew becomes

Helaina Cogg’s unaccompanied, was a

more involved with the Church. It

profound artistic experience for me. What

transforms him entirely. Spiritually,

makes this process so special is that we get

mentally, and of course physically (though

to work on our peers’ work. It's

that is aided by going to the gym and

collaboration to the max.

steroids… lots of stages). Felix undergoes his own crisis of faith, perhaps a result of years

This is the first time The Grappler is

of suppressing his sexuality, and getting

publishing production coverage of a play

married the day of graduation. Yet,

written by a current student. It puts our

Matthew, his convert-Ascensionist

colleague criticism to the test. It’s exciting

girlfriend Samantha, and Anya’s faith only

to work on your friend’s play, but daunting

gets stronger throughout the play.

to critique it. Still, this is what makes me most passionate about being a theatre

What’s frightening is that these teens are

student during NPS. We are in the unique

so committed to being perfect for the

position to engage in critical conversations

church, they lose a sense of reality. They

at such a high level in an educational

lose parts of themselves in the full

setting.

commitment to not only God, but Ascensionism. There were moments of

This year, Ascension by Jeffrey Luke Baker

Ascension that were utterly ridiculous– jabs

received its NPS debut and world premiere.

at the ‘woke left’ and homerotic work out

The play follows Matthew, a recent high

scenes to name a few. In the audience, I felt

school graduate in Orange County,

like the actors knew what they were saying

California, struggling to find his place in the

was ridiculous. I could point and laugh at

world. After a near death experience, he

them, because it felt like they were

reconnects with an old friend Felix. Like a

pointing and laughing at themselves. For

sheep being brought back to the flock by a

this play to work, it demands a total sense

shepherd, Felix begins bringing Matthew

of severity in its most absurd moments. It

back into the Ascensionist Church.

was hard to decipher if these were caricatures– especially the play’s women, Anya and Samantha, or real people.

I couldn’t imagine why anyone would join

I am grateful for NPS because it allows this

the Ascensionist church until Act II. The

kind of work to be possible. I haven’t seen a

character only referred to as Pastor,

show that has this much edge while I’ve

delivered the most sincere dialogue of the

been at TTS. It’s bold for a Catholic school to

play. House lights came up, and suddenly I

criticize religion in this way. I want to see

was seated in the Ascenionist church. He

more work like Ascension on our stages–

preached about our lack of connection to

work that is bold in its beliefs, that isn’t

each other, the evils of instant gratification,

afraid of criticism.

and the feeling of being called to so much more.

This is just the beginning for Ascension. It is the final play in Gwydion, a Chicago-

I’m not a very religious person, BFA3 Eric

based theatre company in its sophomore

Jacobson was so convincing, I could

season, 2024-2025 season. I am excited to

understand why. Why religion, to these

see where this play goes.

select few, felt so good. It offers community, answers, and even hope. This all crumbles down at the end of the play as religion(and possibly steroid) induced psychosis causes Matthew to murder his own father for his lack of faith in God.

CAMILLE PUGLIESE (SHE/HER) IS A BFA 4 DRAMATURGY & DRAMATIC CRITICISM MAJOR FROM MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY

Special thanks to: LeeAnne Nakamura & Katherine Shuert, Associate Editors Rachel Shteir, Supervising Editor Martine Kei Green-Rogers, Dean of The Theatre School