During a quick scan of the 1980 Bowdoin Bugle, Adam Bock '80 did not show up in any of the senior photos. The Bugle's most excellent editor, Alison Curtin '07, conducted her own search of the photos and was also unable to locate Bock. She concedes, however, that since The Bugle did not alphabetize their senior photos in the 1980s, it made it difficult to find anyone.
So Adam Bock did write Five Flights, a play about a dysfunctional family, which will be performed at Wish Theater this weekend. But has anyone otherwise heard from the elusive playwright? Curtin couldn't find him in the yearbook that she now creates every year, and director James Nylund '06 said, "I have not met Adam Bock, though he was supposed to come to our performance. I was recently told, however, that he can't make it."
Oh well, no matter. Adam Bock did write a remarkable play for Masque and Gown to perform with a remarkable cast and director. "James is a terrific director," said Tehilah Azoulay '08, who plays Olivia. "He is creative and progressive with his art." The play proves to be challenging material, and Nylund describes it as a minimalist script, "leaving many possibilities for direction."
"It was a play that grew on me and my actors more and more each time we read it," he said. "I think it's brilliant."
Five Flights is a comedy that deals with what a group of adult siblings want to do with the aviary bequeathed to them in their father's will. Ideas range from selling it to a real estate developer to creating a new age church of "the fifth day," the day God created birds. The play has received rave reviews from the Village Voice and The New York Times for its unconventional quality and wit. Azoulay plays Olivia, with Ben Jolissaint '05 (Ed) and Emily Sowell '05 (Adele) in the other main roles.
With regards to its nonconformity, Nylund said, "The play touches on several different theater styles, moods, and even settings. It was a challenge to piece all that together as a cohesive whole." The different styles and moods also provided entertainment and creative outlets for the cast. For fun, because of the minimalist script, Azoulay said, "We thought of different ways we could act out the script, such as 'white trash style' and 'British style.'" Amidst the amusement, the cast and crew also worked hard on the play.
"I couldn't have asked for more diligent and talented people," said Nylund.
Now that the cast and crew are ready for a great show, the big question still remains: where is Adam Bock? After putting Curtin and Nylund through the "Where's Waldo?" routine, we discovered the problem: according to the posters around the Union, Adam Bock graduated in 1980. According to the 1984 Bugle, in which Curtin discovered a spread that featured Bock on page 134, Bock graduated in what Curtin dubbed "the best year ever." After all, she is a sophomore. No matter what year Adam Bock graduated, come see the hard work and talent that Masque and Gown has put into Five Flights. Tickets are on sale at the Smith Union Info Desk, with performances February 24-26 at 8:00 p.m. and February 27 at 2:00 p.m.