By Gabby Nuovo, News Correspondent
As the semester kicks into gear, so does the Northeastern Theater Department with four productions that they plan to bring to the campus stage. The plays this season range from the classics to the quirky with the lineup as follows: “Elephant’s Graveyard,” “The Phantom Lady,” “Metamorphosis,” and “Romeo and Juliet.”
The first production of the fall semester, “Elephant’s Graveyard,” written by George Brant, is a relatively new play. First performed in 2007, “Elephant’s Graveyard” was based on the true story of the famous 1916 hanging of the circus elephant, Mary. A performer in the Sparks World Famous Shows, Mary killed her trainer after he prodded her behind the ear with a hook, and was subsequently punished and hung from a railcar-mounted industrial crane. The strange but tragic tale is told through the eyes of the townspeople and circus performers. What is interesting about this production is that no direct interaction takes place between characters; The story is told in various interwoven monologues by the actors.
“The Phantom Lady” is a more traditional play, written by Spanish playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca in 1629. It utilizes the popular theatrical plot device of the “invisible mistress,” where the main character falls in love with a woman who is veiled, hidden or encountered in the dark. The attractive widow, Doña Ángela, drives the action of the story, disguising herself as the “phantom lady” in order to freely move about her house after her brothers forbid her from interacting with men. She meets the main character, Don Manuel, in the guest chambers. Swords are drawn, identities are revealed and a happy ending is unveiled.
“Metamorphosis,” by Gisli Örn Gardarsson and David Farr debuts in the spring, and is sure to give the audience an experience to remember. The plot of this production is another strange one: The Samsa family wakes up one morning to discover that their son, Gregor, has transformed into a giant insect for reasons unknown. The story is loosely based off of Franz Kafka’s 1915 novel of the same name, where traveling salesman George Samsa also awakens to realize he has become a huge bug overnight. Previous performances have included a split level set where Gregor’s actor crawls up walls in his monstrous form and defies gravity.
The final production of the year is the Shakespeare classic, “Romeo and Juliet.” Written early in Shakespeare’s career, the play tells the tale of two prominent families clashing in Verona, Italy, and the star-crossed lovers from each respective house. Forbidden from interacting with each other, much less romancing, the two lovers concoct an elaborate plot to be together. However, this plot fails, and in typical Shakespearean tragedy fashion, death ensues.
Each production is radically different from the others, and collectively, the plays should appeal to any kind of viewer. All performances will be held at the Studio Theater in the Curry Student Center, and tickets are available at neu.universitytickets.com, or can be purchased by calling (617) 373-4700. Specific dates for each play and information about auditions can be found at northeastern.edu/camd/theatre/productions/current-season.
