Volume CXXXIII, Number 8 November 2, 2001 f

Priest Wine: A director's debut
HANNAH DEAN
STAFF WRITER

Will there be violence? Yes. Will there be dancing? Yes. Will there be nudity? Sort of.

The cast and crew of Priest Wine assembles for the requisite group photo. (Liesl Finn, Bowdoin Orient)

Priest Wine, a compilation of three original one act plays written and directed by Scott McCabe '02, bursts upon the public stage and gives audiences a peek into the world of the "unconventional." McCabe promises an "absurd look at family…a little bit of humor, a dash of drama, and a couple of tears."

The play is the result of an independent study in theater and was advised primarily by Gretchen Berg, Adjunct Lecturer in Theatre Performance. Berg commented that McCabe has "synthesized his understanding of…performing elements in an extremely personal and off beat hour of theater." She added that she couldn't wait for the performances and said, "I respect his process and adore his point of view."

Inspired by an evening when McCabe's "roommate wound up in a leotard," the piece of work was originally entitled Priest Wine and How We Got My 280 lb Roommate into a Leotard. For purposes of clarity, however, the title was shortened to Priest Wine.

The cast of four men and four women is a mix of "goofballs" and "veterans of the Bowdoin stage." Although this combination was somewhat challenging for first-time director McCabe, it also proved interesting and, at times, amusing. Ben Vandivier '02, who plays the patriarchal figure in two of the segments, described the cast as "daring."

Not having been on stage as an actor since eighth grade, Vandivier appreciated the chance that the play gave him to "break down social constraints." He found the whole experience "cathartic" in that it liberated him from his preconceptions about acceptable public behavior. As a rookie actor, he was forced to learn how to immerse himself in a character and let go of modesty and reserve.

Although the director takes himself seriously, he inserted a unique visual teaser into each of the three segments. In each one act, there will be some form of a visual representation of Superman-in the shape of anything from a pose to a symbol of this comic book hero. "It's kind of like Where's Waldo," said McCabe. The director also said there is no specific significance to the Superman aspect of the play besides the fact that Superman was the first comic book he read. However, the absurdity of the Superman bit seems appropriate considering the eccentric nature of the director and writer of this piece of work.

At many moments during the interview McCabe seemed, ironically, at a loss for words. One could only conclude from his silences that the play is so fantastically avant-garde that it is indescribable. Not wanting to reveal too much about his play, McCabe cryptically informed the public that "no one can be told what Priest Wine is--you have to see it for yourself."

The play will be performed at Wish Theater at 7:00 p.m. on November 1, 2, and 3.