Arts in the News

Milton’s Main Stage Rendering of Donnie Q

Don Quixote, as it will play out in King Theatre this weekend, is new to Milton and to the world—but possibly not to Cervantes. Shane Fuller (performing arts) directed this Don Quixote spin off, called Donnie Q, when he was teaching theater for college students and co-managed a summer program called Square Top Repertory Theatre, in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

“It looks at the novel with fresh eyes,” says Mr. Fuller, “and offers a contemporary take on the felt need to be a hero.” Set in contemporary office space with “The Office” overtones, our erstwhile hero, Donnie, figures that he’d rather be a knight than keep on slogging in the office.

Mr. Fuller has been eager to rethink and rework the Square Top production, and beginning last summer he worked on reviewing the script and the story components and adapting the show. The story begins to spin out when the office crew learns that a certain report must be finished before they all go home, and they’ll likely be working at it all night. They’re stuck. At a particular moment during the evening, a cacophony of relentless office sounds — staplers, printers, keyboards — triggers Donnie, who snaps and runs out. When he ultimately returns, he’s wearing homemade armor and feels compelled to take on some “quests,” confusing and frustrating to his co-workers, especially when one quest results in a broken server. Ultimately the crew realizes that they will need to get involved in a quest in order to trap Donnie. They cooperate in a mission to kill an office “giant,” (a giant whose body is enshrouded with monitor shells and has keyboards for arms) but Donnie surprises them by drawing a real sword. They then realize that a bona fide “capture” of Donnie will be necessary and they make that happen.

Mr. Fuller recalls that in some productions of Don Quixote, the figure of Cervantes appears; Cervantes explains that he is merely the stepfather of a tale that originated in an earlier manuscript. So today’s production is yet another rendition of the story, with another stepfather as it were, and Cervantes appears in the Milton production to explain and facilitate the latter day consideration of the Don Quixote and his challenges. Magicians—who figure in the original character Don Quixote’s explanation of why things are going down the way they are—also help Cervantes create different worlds in the Milton production.

The play is a comedy, of course, but “not without its moving moments,” says Mr. Fuller. For instance Sancho Panchez (played by a young, gullible intern in the office who’s eager to do what her boss wants) asks Donnie “why he believes what he reads in books.” Donnie responds, explaining the living world he’s been able to create as a result of his reading. Cervantes enables a “happy ending,” with the report complete, and Donnie assuming that he had a key role in that outcome.

The cast for Milton’s 2016 Don Quixote involves 14 actors; Chris Wilbur (II) is Donnie. “The play involves plenty of sword fights and battles,” Mr. Fuller says. “It will rely on lots of special effects. Nick Mehlman (I) is creating a special sound track. The play also requires intricate use of lights, projections and fog.” In short, Donnie Q seems bound to be a comedy extravaganza, taking place on Thursday through Saturday evenings, May 19, 20 and 21. Thursday and Friday shows begin at 7:30 p.m. and curtains go up at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets can be purchased in Forbes Dining Hall during lunch periods this week or online at https://miltontickets.tixato.com/buy.

View photos from the performance.

It’s turning into an annual spring tradition as the 1212 play brings another taste of Saturday Night Live comedy to campus. Wicked Sketchy is an original production made up of sketches, written and performed by students. For this third production, Wicked Sketchy veterans Mack Makishima (I), Alex Gistis (I) and Melody Tan (I) took on lead writing and directorial roles in this collaborative project. The 12-student cast pitched ideas to each other and wrote draft skits in small groups, eventually choosing the final ones, which each student had a hand in editing. Director and performing arts faculty member Peter Parisi says sketch topics range from pirates to family relationships, Greek mythology to dating, and the production includes two musical numbers.

The tradition of Milton’s 1212 Plays began over 30 years ago in room 1212 of Warren Hall. The performances evolved from play readings to fully staged productions under the direction of late faculty member Nina Seidenman. When Warren Hall was renovated, and room 1212 became an English classroom, the productions relocated to Wigg Hall. The space may have changed, but the philosophy is the same: intimate productions with small casts, minimal technical demands, and challenging material for both actors and audience.

Performances of Wicked Sketchy begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, May 5 and 6, and at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 7.

Student choreographers and dancers are hard at work finessing their performances for Winter Dance Concert, one of the most popular performance events of the year. This year’s concert includes a mix of traditional dance, modern dance, hip-hop and ballet and features 70 dancers. A jazzy tap number features a remix version of Fred Astaire’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz” and a Bollywood-style Indian dance that fills the stage. The traditional jig shoes of Irish step face off against the percussive movements of step dancers, choreographed by Chelsea Dougherty (I) and Solace Mensah-Narh (II). A dance that explores gender, by Juliana Rogoff (I) and Janice Chen (I), will feature an original composition by Talia Rubenstein (I), a first for Dance Concert. Talia and Corey Hales (I) will perform the musical piece live during the dance.

Winter Dance Concert opens in King Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, and Friday, March 4, and curtains go up at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 5.

Puttin’ on the Ritz in the Dance Studio

The Speech Team had a strong showing at the 12th Annual George Mason University Patriot Game Classic in Fairfax, Virginia last weekend. Marshall Sloane (II) earned 6th place in Current Events Extemporaneous Speaking and 24th in Impromptu, Mack Makishima (I) placed 14th in Original Oratory, and Maddie Dupre (I) placed 24th in Dramatic Interpretation. This tournament brings together 3,000 competitors and coaches from 120 schools nationwide.

Nearly 40 actors take the stage in King Theatre this weekend for this year’s Class IV production, Our Town. Directed by performing arts faculty Eleza Moyer, the play transports audiences to the small fictitious town of Grover’s Corners to follow the life, love and death within two American families.

“Our Town is one of the plays that the more time you spend with it, the more you discover,” says Ms. Moyer.  “It is an exploration of the little things in life that make life worth living. It questions whether we, the human race, take the time to notice what is actually in front of us while we are living it. In a world of social media, it really reminds us of the importance of being in the present.”

A long-standing performing arts tradition, the Class IV Play is an all-inclusive and beloved class project. Class IV students not on stage are contributing behind the scenes, acting as ushers, poster designers, or joining the audience in support of their classmates. 

Our Town begins Thursday, November 19, and Friday, November 20, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, November 21, at 7 p.m.

Tickets are on sale in Forbes during lunch or online at https://miltontickets.tixato.com/buy

View photos of the performance.