By Madelyn Stone, News Correspondent

With a glance at a synopsis of the Northeastern theatre department’s first production of the fall, audiences may wonder how such a story could be labeled a comedy. Illness, death and insanity hardly seem to be material worthy of laughter – yet the work’s satirical tone presents these tragedies in a comical way.
Christopher Durang’s “The Marriage of Bette & Boo” opened Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the Studio Theatre in Ell Hall. The student-run theatre organization Silver Masque helped promote the play by chalking and distributing fliers throughout campus during the weeks before opening night.
After auditions on the first day of fall classes, the ten chosen actors, two assistant stage managers, stage manager and director had a little over a month of rehearsal time.
“We haven’t been working on it very long,” Marlee Delia, a junior theatre major who plays Emily Brennan in the show, said. “We’ve had just about six weeks.”
Even with the brief time frame, Delia said the cast and crew members formed a bond through the play.
“What’s really great about being in a show is that it creates a community,” she said. “You have to work together really cooperatively. It’s like you have this family while you’re working on the show.”
Though the cast and crew became closer over the course of the short timeline, their feelings are a sharp contrast from those of the people they play – the plot features characters whose hardships continually drive one another apart. Their idiosyncrasies create conflict and provide the humorous sense of chaos that director Jonathan Carr, a theatre department professor, said led him to choose the play.
“The play is a study in how our love relationships turn from something very exciting into something else,” Carr said. “It’s about the cruelty that sometimes comes in love and relationships, where that comes from and how we manage to love each other.”
Jenna Stelmok, a senior theatre major who saw the show Tuesday, said it incited more emotions in her than she anticipated.
“It was a lot more moving than I expected,” she said. “I thought it would be a comedy, but there was so much more to it than I expected. It was really great. It was a show that’s very easy to relate to for anyone because of all the family dynamics. It was really interesting.”
Narrated by Bette and Boo’s sarcastic and perceptive son Matt, the play explores the ups and downs of Matt’s parents’ marriage. The comedy tackles difficult topics while maintaining a dark comedic sense, which stage manager Alannah O’Hagan, a middler theater major, said many college students can appreciate.
“I think it really appeals to a good sense of humor, a cultivated sense of humor,” O’Hagan said. “It’s nice every once in a while to have something that’s funny in an intellectual way and this show definitely has that. And it also makes you think. It does what theatre’s supposed to do, it gets the audience thinking.”
The play tackles an array of social issues, from divorce to disabilities to sexism, all in a tone of satire which embraces the chaos of the families’ situations. Middler theatre major Hayley Perkins, who is playing the part of Bette, said the absurdity of the show makes it relevant for all potential audiences.
“Everyone has what they think is a crazy family so they’re going to see a bit of their family in it somewhere,” she said.
As a multi-faceted production, “Bette & Boo” has the potential to resonate differently with every viewer.
Freshman theatre major Phillip Esposito, who played the role of Matt, said each person watching will have his or her own reaction to the various scenes.
“Some scenes that will be funny to some people will be horrifying to others,” he said.
Carr’s reasoning for choosing this play follows this same thought.
“I love plays that let the audience really wrestle with how they respond to a peculiar moment,” Carr said. “This play is definitely a play like that.”
Freshman theatre major Joy Richmond, who came to see the play opening night, agreed that there were mixed reactions to the production.
“[During] certain parts I found hilarious, I was the only one laughing,” she said. “The play itself can be interpreted in so many different ways, there’s no way the entire audience would react in the same way.”
In addition to posting fliers about the production, Silver Masque got creative in promoting “Bette & Boo,” staging two interactive photo-shoots on the Snell Library quad last week. Dressed in bride and groom costumes, Silver Masque members engaged passerby for pictures while informing them about the production.
After attending Tuesday’s performance, fifth year physical therapy major Best Uduh said he enjoyed the show.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect,” he said, “But overall I thought it was a good performance. The actors were great, they were believable and they definitely put on a good show.”
“The Marriage of Bette & Boo” will show at 8 p.m. performances through Saturday and close with a 2 p.m. matinee this Sunday. Students can purchase tickets on myNEU or in person in Ell Hall.