In just one semester, students in Beyond the Proscenium, a new student theater group, has gone from chartering a club to putting on its first production.
As the title of the group suggests, the club’s avant-garde performances are not confined by traditional theatrical boundaries. “Spring Awakening,” the award-winning rock musical by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater that debuted on Broadway in 2006, will not take place on a traditional stage but rather in Chase Barn. Seats sold out within hours for their Friday and Saturday performances, so an open dress rehearsal on Thursday and an additional performance on Sunday were added.
“Chase Barn is a really intimate space,” said Jonah Watt ’18, who plays Ernst in the show. “All your facial expressions and gestures can be smaller because you’re acting to a more intimate audience.
“The biggest thing for the audience will be adjusting to a new space. We have some blocking and choreography that have us go in and out of the aisles,” said Watt. “For the audience, it will be an interesting adjustment to a small space and dealing with the comedy and tragedy and darkness of the show.”
“There aren’t a lot of big sets or other theater pretenses to remove the audience from the show. As actors, we’re here, five feet in front of you, telling you this story, which I think is going to do a lot for the show,” said cast member Chase Gladden ’17. “I think it will be an intimate but good experience for the audience.”
Beyond the Proscenium aims to eliminate the traditional boundaries of what it means to be an actor and what it means to be on stage. The cast is comprised of both experienced actors who are regularly in Bowdoin shows and students who have never acted before. Their shows are not confined to one stage, but are meant to take place in small, site-specific locations. This creates a more intimate experience for both the actors and audience throughout the performance.
Jae Yeon Yoo ’18 is the show’s musical director and was integral in orchestrating the show’s score. The band consists of six first-year musicians on Glockenspiel, guitar, violin, cello and drums.
Cordelia Orbach ’17, one of the founders of the group discussed how important the cast has been in making this production a success.
“Our cast is extraordinarily strong,” said Orbach. “I think what we’ve seen is that the people who didn’t think they were actors have found great things and would now consider themselves actors. The people who are veterans continue to learn and find new things.”
All of the actors had to learn to adapt to acting in a site-specific location together. Since there was such a short amount of time between casting and production, the cast had to come together quickly as they prepared for the show.
Gladden, who plays Moritz in “Spring Awakening,” was already accustomed to working with the founders of the club. He has been involved in various theater productions at Bowdoin and chose to be part of this student-run production as well.
“It’s volunteer-based, so everyone’s here because they want to be. I really enjoy that,” said Gladden. “It feels like everyone is there for the right reason. That what’s behind this show. Everyone had something they were bringing to the table.”
While the small setting makes the cast adjust to acting in a more intimate setting, the audience likewise must adjust to seeing a performance in a new close-up form. Both actors and audience members will be involved in the show.
The founders of Beyond the Proscenium were willing to explore a new form of acting and storytelling as they sought to have the audience and actors interact in a smaller setting. Spring Awakening was an attention-grabbing choice as the first production, since it confronts difficult issues including rape, incest and suicide and will be performed in an intimate space.
The production team met with Director of Gender Violence Prevention and Education Benje Douglas about bringing up these issues on campus. The proceeds from the $5 tickets go to the Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine (SASSMM) and the Maine Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC).
“We are in uncharted territory, especially for theater on campus. I think students are the perfect demographic for this show,” said Orbach. “The show is relatable and some of the topics are hard...Some of the issues are hard to tackle so I’m excited to see what kind of critical thought the production sparks on campus. There will be a full range of emotions in the room.”
Beyond the Proscenium has a lot of student support, both from actors who were willing to try something new and audience members who are eager to see its first production.
“It’s been such a successful journey so far. We didn’t even know if we’d be able to do this, and now everyone’s looking forward to it,” said Orbach. We’ve gotten good feedback. The campus seems really excited to see it,” she said.