SELINSGROVE — It’s tough to beat the benefits of students writing then acting out their scenes onstage, but add fellow student theater majors to the mix, and you’ve got a situation that enhances everyone’s talents.
The Susquehanna University Department of Theatre will present a choreopoem entitled “Strung Up on You” on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinee performance at 2:30 p.m. in the Degenstein Center Theatre.
Directed by Assistant Professor of English & Creative Writing Monica Prince, a choreopoem integrates dramatic action, poetry, music and dance. “Strung Up on You,” the first choreopoem to be performed in the Degenstein Center Theatre, is a collection of poems portraying different kinds of relationships.
Nala Washington and Kaci MoDavis, both seniors, are assistant directors for the show. The first two weeks of class were dedicated to cultivating poems into a script for the choreopoem, Washington said.
“We started with prompts. What does forgiveness mean to you? What is your definition of love?” Washington said. “We narrowed it down to the Red String Theory (theory of soul mates) but branched it out to all relationships, like abusive love, queer love, sibling love, interracial, etc.”
The choreopoems are mixed with song and dance, but the base is built on poetry, MoDavis said, adding that she finds it rewarding that this is the first year theater and writing students are working together.
“It’s exciting to be able to give back with a show for others to watch on such a grand scheme,” she said, noting that other writing class performances were held in smaller campus auditoriums. “This is the first time in Degenstein with the resources they have — stage managers, props managers, costume makers. There are a lot more people involved. It’s good to have interaction with the theater people.”
In one scene Washington portrays an abused wife with theater student Luke Rider, a junior.
“Choreopoems tend to go through these touchy subjects,” Washington said. “In a weird way, poetry heals. I hope my character doesn’t resonate with anyone in the audience, but if it does I hope it helps them see they’re not alone.”
“It has definitely been a challenge to portray someone so despicable,” Rider said. “Even fellow actors have said, ‘You’re scary.’”
Still, both he and Washington wanted to make the portrayals as honest as possible.
“The first rehearsals were hard,” Washington said, “but we have to get it right.”
“It’s been a huge challenge for Nala and I, but we communicate a lot,” Rider said. “We’re having a great time, actually. The show overall is going to be a great production.”
Sophomore writer Lorraine Durbin portrays two characters, a sibling named Lily in a scene about family love, and a woman named Evelyn in a scene of lesbian love.
“With both scenes, the audience will appreciate how honestly we talk about love and how messy it is,” she said. “They’ll appreciate the honest look into the lives people live each day.”
Sophomore Jake Kolasa brings humor to the choreopoem with his portrayal of Jimbo, a man in a heteronormative relationship.
“I’m hoping the audience will find Jimbo funny,” Kolasa said. “I wrote this whole scene with comedy in mind. Jimbo is a very stereotypical, clueless, bland, yuppie character. He gives actors a lot of opportunity for comedy.”
At its core, the show is about connections, MoDavis said, whether someone is in a romantic relationship or experiencing confusion about relationships or identity.
“It’s easy to find a reflection of yourself in the show,” she said.
“The choreopoem is very much about love and relationships and what it means to be a good partner. It shows the challenges of those assumptions and what it means to be loved and cared for and chosen.” said Prince, who wrote a choreopoem titled “How to Exterminate the Black Woman.”
The show will be performed in a black box setup with the audience sitting on the stage.Tonight’s performance will be followed by a talkback session with Survival Acts, a campus group that supports survivors of domestic violence.
“We’ll talk about love and violence,” Prince said.
After Saturday night’s performance a talkback session with the cast will discuss what it was like to produce the show.
Cindy O. Herman lives in Snyder County. Email comments to her at CindyOHerman@gmail.com