Author: Christina LeBlanc
With the end of the academic year swiftly approaching, Occidental’s theater department has had no time to rest. This past weekend, the Occidental College production She Stoops to Conquer directed by Theater Department Chair John Bouchard, opened in Keck Theater; additional evening performances are slated for Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26, as well as a matinee performance on Sunday, April 27.
Written by Oliver Goldsmith as a “laughing” comedy, She Stoops to Conquer was first performed in 1773 in response to the prevalence of sentimental comedies in 18th century British theater. The plot is centered around the relationship between Young Marlow-played by Lucky Gretzinger (senior)-and Kate Hardcastle-played by Rachel Noll (senior). Kate attempts to win Marlow’s heart by disguising herself as a serving maid, resulting in confusion and hilarity at the hands of mistaken identity.
The cast of the play is extensive, with supporting roles played by Henry McMillan (junior), Grayson De Jesus (senior), Emily Harkins (senior) and Brenan Dwyer (senior). The set is simple but well made, and the female characters’ dresses are beautiful. At Friday’s performance, the play held interest throughout, gaining multiple laugh-out-loud moments from the audience.
The set and lighting are the work of Occidental alum Adrian Jones ’93, while the costumes were co-designed by theater professor Tom Slotten and Amanda Lee (senior).
Joining She Stoops to Conquer on the Theater department’s busy schedule, adjunct professor Laurel Meade’s The Suffragist Road Show was performed for the first time yesterday in the Hillside Amphitheater. An encore performance of the play is scheduled for 8:00 tonight, with a post-show talk given by writer/director Meade.
“The play is a fictionalized dramatization of an actual cross-country road-trip undertaken by a group of suffragists in 1915,” Meade said. In her version of the events, “[the women] are joined by some unexpected guests,” creating drama within the play that “becomes a metaphoric exploration of how the suffrage movement dealt with gender politics, race relations, and controversial personal expression.”
Meade explained that what sets this play apart from other Occidental productions is “that we’re performing it outdoors . . . and it was largely written during the rehearsal process,” promising to bring something new to its audience members.
The cast of the play includes Karen Baughn (senior), Kadiatou Martin (senior), Jonathan Stoner (senior), Elizabeth Adelman (senior), Cassidy North-Reist (junior) and Rebecca Buhr (sophomore). “It’s been edifying and gratifying to work with students in such a deep, creative way,” Meade said, adding that she is “always impressed by the talent and dedication of our students.”
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