After memorizing songs, dance moves and a multitude of puns, a cast of seven will be presenting the 2016 Newman musical, Triumph of Love, written by Pierre de Marivaux and directed by Associate Professor and Director of Theatre Mark Mannette.
Mannette describes the farce, or dramatic comedy, as: “Frolicking fun, rifed with mistaken identities and complete with happy endings.” While he recognizes that many people may be unfamiliar with the musical, Mannette said he has high hopes that the audience will be curious enough to come and watch it.
In comparison to previous productions, the preparation time for this show has been fairly limited. “Five weeks is an insanely short amount of time to put on a show,” said junior Jacob Hobbie. “But we have worked extremely hard to get lines memorized and I am sure that with our amazing tech crew, we will get everything done in order to live up to ‘Newman quality.’”
Although the cast is small, the will power is mighty for this team of seven. Sophomore Taylore Rose said, “I am really having fun with my cast members because of the good dynamics we share. Having a small cast makes it easier to get things done quickly. Plus, you are able to connect better with the people you are acting with so it’s easier to build trust.”
In addition to nightly rehearsals, several tasks go on behind the scenes in order to make the show work on stage. Technical Director and Designer Jamison Rhodes constructed the set and received additional help with painting, hanging curtains, and tidying up the stage from student volunteers. “We view the set of something as a character in its own way,” Mannette said. “We want it to tell a story.”
While tech week may be stressful, Hobbie said the cast members have made some great memories along the way. Sophomore Ieuan Thomas shared that a few of the names were especially difficult to pronounce.
“We all tried to pronounce the character name ‘Hesione’ correctly and Jacob didn’t seem to get it,” Thomas said. “For weeks, we were saying, ‘Get it right, Jacob,’ only to find out later that Jacob was right and the rest of us were all wrong.”
Triumph of Love will be presented in the DeMattias Performance Hall at 8 p.m. Oct. 6-8.
A matinee performance will also take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9.
Ticket cost is $12 general admission and $5 for students. Military and senior citizens admissions $10.
Newman University students get in free, but be sure to bring your Student ID.
