Nov. 30, 2006

MC Theatre to present North American premiere

Jason E. Weber
weberj@marietta.edu

With the semester drawing to a close, the theatre department has one last production to present and last certainly does not mean least. Opening last night and running tonight and Saturday night, are the North American premieres of two plays by Brazilian playwright, Marcos Barbosa. The plays, “Almost Nothing” and “At the Table” will run tonight at 8:00 p.m. in the Friedrich Theatre of the Hermann Fine Arts Center.

Originally produced in London at the Royal Court in 2003, these two one-act plays, directed by senior theatre major, Nicholas Gehlfuss, will be receiving their first performance in the United States and in North America.

The plays are sterile snapshots of interesting events in the lives of the characters. “Almost Nothing” deals with a husband and wife of the upper middle class who were involved in a altercation with a young man of a lower class. The play discusses character and ethics and ultimately leaves the audience wondering where truth lies.

The second play, “At the Table,” more clearly exemplifies the snapshot form. We see multiple conversations across tables that deal with subject matter that may be considered taboo in Brazilian cultures.

“The plays,” Gehlfuss said, “deal with things that are swept under the rug in Brazilian culture; in America, we would bring these things out into the open and deal with them. There, they would be kept secret and people wouldn't be able to talk about them. I think the plays point up differences in our societies.”

The play features two very different casts one of mostly veteran MC actors and the other of younger actors who have just began working at Marietta. In “At the Table” there is Seniors Terry Doane and Neil Pickering, Juniors Matt Samardge and Nick Aylward, Sophomore Jeremy Jusek, and Freshman Brandon Marino. “Almost Nothing” has performances by freshmen Sara Raddell, James Alex Jones, Shaun M. Casey, and Jessica Jackson.

The pair of one acts continue to run tonight at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. in the Friedrich Theatre of the Hermann Fine Arts Center. For reservations or more information please call the box office at (740) 376-4678.