Argonautika

According to the program, University of Missouri's theater production of "Argonautika"by Mary Zimmerman took place "long ago and far away, in the myths of mist and memory." Directed by Cheryl Black, the adaptation of the Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts boasted a 20 person cast, which is impressive considering this all took place in the Corner Playhouse, which only seats about 125 people. With chants and raps and tattoos galore, this is not the same Jason and the Argonauts that you've heard before.

For the lighting design of the play, designer R. Dean Packard began the play in very cool blues. While a lot of us theorized as to what it could symbolize, my personal theory is it stood for the sky, as in what the argonauts would see on a day to day basis on the ship. The set was, for the most part, very well-lit and bright. The only dark points (that I really noticed) were the sea storm and when Medea is contemplating suicide. And an interesting light design choice is the representation of hell. When Medea is thinking about drinking a potion, a square beam of light appears behind her, letting the audience believe that the door to hell is opening for her. Other details like that were a very nice touch in creating a layer on the "Argonautika" set.

As for the set itself, scenic designer R. Dean Packard's set was expansive, especially considering the small space he had to work with. What the audience saw was the back of the ship, with a mast in center stage, complete with stage stairs and a door leading to the "cabins." And when the story took place off the ship (like in a throne room or a beach), it was completely believable, as the actors moved in the space in a way that let the audiences imagination take hold. One set feature I particularly like was the trap door. Towards the beginning of the play, when the trapdoor was open, it became a stream for the ill-fated Hylas to drink from, before he's pulled to the depths below. Later on, it became a fireplace for Pelias to warm himself by.

The costumes were, again, my favorite part. Costume designer Rachel Schmidt's designs were beautiful. My personal favorites were the goddesses' dresses. Hera and Athena's, in particular, were beautiful. Hera's had a nice touch to it, as the dark green dress, to me, stood for her jealousy. Hera is known for being jealous, especially of her husband's lovers, and to have it contrast nicely with the bright gold of her crown and belt was a good touch. Athena's battle gear was most inspiring, especially her owl tattoo that showed on her thigh (since Athena's familiar is an owl). I really loved that each cast member had a specific tattoo that showcased something about their character (i.e. Athena's owl, Pollux and Castor's swan tattoos).

Argonautika Sets Sail at the University of Missouri

Lighting designer R. Dean Packard created a layer to the "Argonautika" set that created a bright, colorful world. From the clear, blue of the sky over an ocean, to the deep red of the gates of Hell, the lighting added a dimension to the set that would have suffered without it. The main theme of the lighting color scheme seemed to be blue, which is appropriate considering 2/3rds of this play is on the famed Argo. But in each scene, a hint of blue is almost always added, like when Hylas is fetching water from the stream (read: trapdoor), blue light pours from the opening, creating a reflection on the doomed Hylas' face. All this and more contributes to one of the most brightly, colored plays Mizzou has featured this Spring semester.

Don Juan

Don Juan is not your typical play. For one, it took place in a non-traditional setting….a photography studio called Silverbox Studios. Don Juan, adapted by Emily Adams, takes place after World War I in Berlin. Don Juan (Jeff Conway) has come back from the war to find his beloved Edda (Matt Ingram), only to find that she is gone and cannot be found. Leaving a trail of broken hearts (consisting of Gina Drapela, Rhîan McLean and Elizabeth Braaten Palmieri) on his journey to find her, Don Juan is a dark, seductive play that intrigues the audience as much as it makes them uncomfortable.

The scenic design of the play was very minimalistic. Designed by Elizabeth Braaten Palmieri and Emily Adams, the space that the actors had to work with was very…limited. Not a lot of walking around the space was used, and if it was, the actor went behind the audience in a space between the audience and the wall. An old, metal tub sits in the middle of the acting space, with a dresser covered in bottles occupy what little room there is. A mannequin stands patiently to the side as actors use it as a place to grab various costumes or props from (if they are onstage for the current and next scene).  The audience gets a feeling of claustrophobia, as the small space is occupied by such a large story with people who have large personalities. Still, at least the actors worked with what they had. At the beginning of the play, a wooden cover is used on the tub, and it suddenly became a hospital bed for Don Juan to lie on when he seduces the nurse. And, in the very last scene, the tub suddenly becomes a grave, with Drapela and Palmieri acting as the falling snow and Ingram standing at the front of the grave as a headstone.

With the set comes the lighting, which I have even less to talk about. Designed by Elizabeth Braaten Palmieri and Emily Adams, the lights consisted of a string of Christmas lights on the ceiling and two small spotlights no bigger than my forearm. While the Christmas lights created a nice, warm glow, there wasn’t much more to the lighting, in my opinion. Two moments I could really tell the lighting differences was at the beginning, where the two small spotlights seemed to glow red, casting a hazy, seductive light on the actors, which is appropriate considering the actors were engaging in what is to be considered an orgy. And the other real moment I noticed the lighting design is in the very last scene. It was extremely dark, except for the two small spotlights were blue instead of red, which gave the audience the sense of cold and bitterness (again, appropriate considering we were at a grave).

Lastly, the costumes, were by far my favorite aspect. The girls (and sometimes Ingram) were all dressed in lingerie of some form or other. And our anti-hero Don Juan (Conway) wore a military uniform that he never seems to take off (although there were shirt removals at key points in the play). One nice moment that I liked was the stark difference in colors between the prostitutes (Ingram and Palmieri) and the rest of the girls (Drapela and McLean). The prostitutes were dressed in a dark black, which most associate with darkness or having a seductive quality, which I thought was a nice contrast to the other two women with the white or cream colored lingerie, which belies a more innocent intent. Another nice touch that I enjoyed was the torn fishnets that every girl sported. It really gave a nice indication to the audience that this Berlin was not one flush with amenities, like whole pantyhose. It seemed like the people, or women, were so desperate to look nice that they would don these torn hose just to have some semblance of normalcy.

Don Juan’s Last Stand (An Excerpt)

In a collaborative effort with the cast and director, the costumes for Don Juan belied a desperation and animalistic nature of Don Juan. With torn fishnet stockings and loosely-fitting lingerie worn by the women, the effect this has is an over-sexualization of the female characters, which can put the audience in the same mindset as our love lothario; women are just objects, a means to a very satisfying end. While our anti-hero wore a soldier’s uniform the entire time. While this uniform was worn proudly by Don Juan, this reads to the audience that he is stuck in his past, and cannot escape from it (appropriate, since he is literally chasing his past).