March 24, 2006

Marquis de Sade returns to MC stage

By JASON E. WEBER
weberj@marietta.edu

The Marquis de Sade? Charenton? Again? That's right. This weekend the Theatre at Marietta College will be presenting another look at the Marquis de Sade with their production of Doug Wright's 'Quills,' directed by faculty member and Ohio University MFA Directing Candidate, Melissa Hill Grande. 'Quills' is set to open tonight at 8 p.m. in the Friedrich Theatre of the Hermann Fine Arts Center and run through Sunday night.

For those of you who saw the first Marquis play, 'Marat/Sade,' this January, you may think you have an inkling about what you may expect from this play. However, you would be wrong. This play is distinctly different. During the play, the Marquis de Sade (Dek Ingraham), while imprisoned at the Asylum at Charenton, has continued to write his gruesome and sadist pornographic stories. Doctor Royer-Collard (Scott Nyitray), the director of the asylum is visited by the Marquis' wife, Renee Pelagie (Samantha Spradlin), who offers him any amount of money to make him stop writing and ruining her reputation.

The Abbè de Coulmier (Nick Gehlfuss), his agent, is given the duty of stopping the Marquis by any means nessesary. Throughout the play, we see just how difficult that may become. Also in the production are Joel Fenstermaker as Monsieur Prouix, Beck Hardt as Madeleine, and Liz Allard as Madame Royer-Collard.

Grande told the Marcolian why she was so attracted to this play. “I'm interested in the idea of artistic freedom, and the consequences of fanatical censorship. These ideas are predominant in the [play]… [And] in spite of the dark tales that the story holds, it's actually very funny, though often a darker humor than some people might be used to.”

The play should prove to be an exciting, thought-provoking, and at times, disturbing, look at a man whose writings shocked and traumatized generations, and those who tried to stop him.
The production premieres tonight at 8:00 p.m. in the Friedrich Theatre at the Hermann Fine Arts Center and will run tomorrow night, Saturday night, and Sunday night also at 8:00 p.m. at the same location. Tickets are $7.00 for adults, $6.00 for senior citizens, $5.00 for students, and free to all Marietta College
Students, Faculty, and Staff. This play contains adult themes, nudity, and violence, and is not recommended for children. If you have any additional questions, concerns, or would like to make reservations, please phone the box office at (740) 376-4678.