The Department of Theatre’s production of Carlo Gozzi’s 18th-century play “The King Stag” premiered Feb. 18 in the Ulrey Performing Arts Center. According to junior Patrick Jones, who plays the titular King Deramo, “it’s just your basic hero story” — featuring a beautiful girl, a dastardly villain and a search for true love.
“It’s a love story about this king who is trying to find the perfect queen,” Jones said. “The woman he picks happens to be the love interest of the main antagonist.”
According to director Robin Miller, chair of the theatre department, “The King Stag” was originally written in Italian, in the commedia dell’arte tradition. Elements of this theatrical style include a consistent cast of archetypal characters, comedic “lazzi” (or bits), the wearing of masks and improvisational humor.
“Part of the commedia style is that some of the performance is improvised each time the script is presented,” Miller said. “We are following that performance tradition.”
Junior Duncan Michael, who plays the comic Truffledino, said that the commedia style’s use of masks presented the cast with challenges they had not encountered in previous shows.
“It stretches you, especially with the masks,” Michael said. “In a straight play, you rely heavily on your facial expressions (especially in the Ulrey) convey how you’re feeling. But with the masks, especially with my character, I’m having to find new ways that my body can be in because … you can’t see above my nose.”
According to Jones, that emphasis on physicality required a new level of energy.
“In comedy — like in your basic farce show — you have to be over-the-top, you have to be animated the entire show, you have to keep moving — and that’s exhausting,” Jones said. “But this time it’s like, you have to be more than just over-the-top, always-moving expressive — you have to be expressive even when you think you don’t need to be.”
According to Jones and Michael, the production takes place on an extremely minimal stage with very few set pieces, so that the actors themselves can shine. Additionally, the Ulrey’s versatile stage space has been converted to a theater-in-the-round, making the cast visible from all sides at all times.
“I found (the theater-in-the-round) a lot more freeing, ‘cause you’re not having to worry about constantly cheating out,” Michael said. “You just have to come to terms with the fact that someone in the audience is always going to be staring at your butt.”
Jones said the staging also allows actors to interact directly with the audience, bringing them into the world of the show.
“Honestly, in my opinion, Harding’s never done something like this before,” Michael said. “With the amount of commedia, with the round, with the audience interaction, this is not your typical Harding show.”
“The King’s Stag” continues its run with performances Feb. 19-20, at 7 p.m. in the Ulrey. Tickets are $10 or free with the CAB pass.
