UT students travel to regional theatre festivals

Two of the University of Toledo Theatre Department’s productions were invited to be re-presented at two major theatre events in December 2014 and January 2015; “Strip Tease” and “The Adding Machine.”

“Strip Tease,” directed by Cornel Gabara, was invited to be part of a theatre festival titled Tribute to S. Mrozek and Z. Herbert. The production was presented at the Chopin Theatre in Chicago in December 2014.

This festival was a celebration of the work of playwrights Slawomir Mrozek and Zbigniew Herbert. The performances of “Strip Tease” were held Dec. 5-7.

According to a press release by Angela Riddel, “Strip Tease” is a comedic social commentary that explores the response of two characters faced with a voiceless and faceless authority figure that seems to be demanding.

The release also stated that they shed not only their clothing but their dignity as well.

“I believe that ‘Strip Tease’ represents the inner struggle that people have when they choose to make a decision, a battle of logic vs. reason,” said Khara Sims, a fourth-year English and theatre major.

Sims attended both “Strip Tease” and “The Adding Machine” while it was at UT, and she also attended the production of “The Adding Machine” in Cleveland.

Andrea Harris
Elif Erturk, a theatre alum casted as Daisy Diana and Tyler Mitchell, a second-year finance major cast as Mr. Zero in “The Adding Machine,” act out a scene from the play. “The Adding Machine” will run for two weekends, Oct. 24-26 and Oct. 31-Nov. 2. Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 p.m. while Sunday shows are at 2:30 p.m.

“The Adding Machine,” directed by UT theatre lecturer Irene Alby, was chosen to be performed at the regional Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) Jan. 6 at the Ohio Theatre in Cleveland.

Judges from the KCACTF attend members’ productions and choose the best ones for invitation to the festival, the press release said.

“The Adding Machine” follows the story of Mr. Zero, an accountant who murders his boss after learning he was going to be replaced by an adding machine. After Mr. Zero is sentenced and executed for the murder, the play follows him into the afterlife.

Sims said she wanted to see the production in Cleveland to show her support for the theatre department as well as her friends who were part of the production.

“I think the production was a big insight on the way that technology is controlling the newer generations,” Sims said. “Mr. Zero was replaced with a machine — was reincarnated by a machine — to work on the machine that replaced him.”

Sims said it also shows the audience how we settle for mundane activities and keep all our thoughts and desires to ourselves.

“We were very excited when we received email notification that the show had been selected,” Alby said. “Thanks to our dean and provost, who were supportive, we were able to tour the show.”

Alby said she chose “The Adding Machine” because she is interested in expressionism. She started her career as an actor with The Other Theatre/L’Autre Theatre in Montreal. She said they did a lot of expressionistic plays.

“I was interested in the themes within the play as well,” Alby said. “The idea of free will, and the concept of going through life on automatic pilot is extremely relevant today, as people are increasingly isolated and desensitized by technology.”

Alby said she liked how Elmer Rice, “The Adding Machine’s” playwright, took the play out of the Judeo-Christian context and “allowed us to explore themes such as right and wrong through a different lens.”

She also said she wanted to make the play relevant to today rather than staging it as a museum piece. She said she was intrigued by the lengthy monologues and inner thoughts of the characters.

“I think the play went really well at the festival. I was really proud of the actors who managed to adjust to a one-thousand seat proscenium after performing in a 150-seat black box with thrust seating,” Alby said. “We set up in four hours and didn’t have time to run the show, but they were still able to keep the precision of the choreography.”

Alby said there were a few lighting glitches and other technical issues but she said that “nonetheless, the show went really well and we got excellent feedback from many people.”

“We were definitely the talk on Yik Yak and other sources,” Alby said. “While that isn’t a measure of excellence, it demonstrates that people were thinking about the show long after it was over.”

Alby wasn’t the only one who had good things to say about the production.

“I think these two shows really showed the uniqueness that is within the University of Toledo Theatre department,” Sims said. “Rather than being plays that are merely for show, they require the audience to think, and to turn the characters in the play into themselves with their own doubts and fears.”