Two stories that shocked the world ““ one about a repressed
boy transforming into a cockroach, another about incestuous
relationships ““ have become educational lessons for Master of
Fine Arts students; and for the rest of us, they’re
opportunities for entertainment.
Running tonight through next weekend, Jean Cocteau’s
“Les Parents Terribles (Indiscretions)” and Franz
Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” will be performed in
repertory on alternating nights with different casts for each
play.
Chosen by the department, the plays are designed to further
enhance the actors’ versatility by exposing them to
unconventional plays and roles.
“What’s great about this program is that everyone
becomes so well-rounded from all the different exposure we
get,” said Suzanne Fagan, who plays Gregor Samsa’s
mother in “Metamorphosis.” “We have so many
options when we come out of the school that it becomes what type of
acting is our preference rather than what we were trained
in.”
This quarter, the plays focus on acting in abstract scenes.
According to Fagan, these two plays, both translated and adapted
from literary texts, share a commonality of having conceptual and
metaphorical themes, rather than being an average straight-ahead
story.
The first of the plays, “Metamorphosis,” directed by
Max Snyder, is Steven Berkoff’s 1960s adaptation of
Kafka’s novella. Though differing from the book in that
Gregor physically assuming the form of a cockroach is not shown,
the play attempts to convey the same feelings of people who live in
fear and are unable to enjoy their lives.
“The adaptation of the play was a little away from what I
believed the novel to be,” said director Max Snyder. “I
attempted to dive into the real meaning behind the play with the
actors to convey a sense of humanity from the
characters.”
While the play does not show the physical transformation of
Gregor into the infamous bug, it does, with the use of lighting and
sound, show a metaphorical transformation.
“The stage lighting and sound is very sharp and
aggressive,” said Fagan. “This conveys the metaphorical
change of Gregor, along with the other character’s reactions
to him.
The second play, “Indiscretions,” recalls the
twisted 1940s family tale of a mother and father who are worried
about their son who hasn’t returned home one night. In
reality, the mother’s obsessive concern for her son is rooted
in incestuous feelings for him. In this distorted version of the
Oedipal dramatic farce, the mixture of deception and lust fills the
stage.
“This play is definitely different from the ones Jean
Cocteau usually wrote,” said director Tom Burmester.
“Most of his plays were done in the surrealist manner, so to
do a family drama was a drastic change for him and was thus harder
to direct.”
Like a modern-day soap opera, the play uses melodramatic
actions, one of which is repeated door slamming, solidifying its
status as a farce.
“The play is about the conflict between
generations,” said Giovanni Ortega, who plays the role of
Michael, the son. “It’s about the attempt of an older
generation to hold onto changing ideals and trying fervently to
pass them onto the younger generation who is trying to become
independent at that same time.”
From incestuous insinuations to metaphorical insect morphing,
the second-year M.F.A. performances aim to create an environment
where audience members are treated to a different, more abstract
theater experience.
“I wanted to create a piece where the audience would walk
away with more than just entertainment,” said Snyder.
“I wanted to create a kind of place to which the audience can
come away with thinking about some sort of aspect of their own
lives to which they can begin enlightenment and build upon
themselves.”
Both shows will be performed in Macgowan’s Little Theater
for free. “Metamorphosis” runs March 6, 8, 13 and 14 at
8 p.m. and March 15 at 2 p.m. “Indiscretions” runs
March 7, 11, 12 and 15 at 8 p.m. and March 8 at 2 p.m. Visit the
CTO to make reservations or call (310) 825-2101.