‘Changeling’ Challenges BU Theater

Although BU’s Willing Suspension Productions fell just shy of living up to Thomas Middleton and William Rowley’s potent tragedy “The Changeling,” the production as a whole challenges the BU student theater scene to offer more than popular the Disney and cult classics seen last fall.

For starters, this isn’t your typical BU student performance.  You will not find audience members doing the Time Warp or performers delivering an awkward a cappella rendition of Lady Gaga.  Willing Suspension Production specializes in bringing rarely produced 15th and 16th century English plays with the BU English Department to students since its creation 15 years ago, according to www.willingsuspensionproductions.com.  Yes, Shakespeare does grace the BU stages through BU Shakespeare Society’s productions, but when you are looking for a quality English drama that you haven’t read in high school, Willing Suspension Productions should be your go to.  Such is the case with “The Changeling.”  Not only is Willing Suspension Productions offering an intelligent tragedy to a student-based audience, but they are essentially doing so in another language thanks to Middleton’s and Rowley’s early modern English script.

"The Changeling" opens tonight at 7:00pm at the Agganis Student Theater. -Photo Courtesy of Willing Suspension Productions

The plot of “The Changling” thrives off of entangled engagements and desperate dealings.  The play centers on a young woman,

Beatrice, and her longing to marry Alsemero in spite of the fact that she is engaged to Alonzo.  To rid herself of Alonzo, she conspires with her household servant, DeFlores, who happens to be in love with her, to murder Alonzo.  A side plot takes place in an insane asylum where the doctor, Alibius, strives to prevent his wife, Isabella, from cheating on him with the help of his assistant, Lollia.  Antonia and Francisca fall for Isabella and attempt to woe her by becoming Alibius’s patients, with Lollia trying to seduce Isabella on the side as well.  Naturally, nothing actually goes as the characters intend and blood ensues.

A large portion of the production’s merit must be attributed to Ben DeTora in the role of DeFlores.  DeTora impressively created a character akin to Humbert Humbert, entwining lust and love together to form a most creepy villain.  His raspy breathing alone was enough to send a shiver down my spine.  DeTora provided DeFlores with a masterful physical presence each time he was onstage, doing justice to his character’s bloody accomplishments.  In spite of his actual personality, I have a feeling that if I ran into DeTora in the hallways, I could not help but walk quickly in the other direction.

Dana Sigmund’s portrayal of the play’s leading lady, Beatrice, opened with a rough start.  For the first few scenes, her performance appeared over-rehearsed as she delivered her lines with calculated timing and tempo.  At times, her facial expressions were so over-dramatic, Sigmund resembled a child turning down her vegetables rather than a woman distressing over her marriage predicament.  Yet, when Sigmund eased into her place onstage around act III, scene iv, she at last embodied her role, destined to enchant her audience. No longer performing the part, Sigmund became a woman begging for her honor during Beatrice’s battle with DeFlores, and remained so for the rest of the play.

Allistair Johnson, who played Alsemero, earned a soft spot with his character’s vulnerable sincerity upheld from the start of the show.  Because of his loving gazes for Beatrice and sweet embraces, this audience member could not help but invest in the outcome for his character.  This in turn made Alsemero’s misfortune’s all the more real and therefore upsetting as an onlooker.  Thankfully Johnson treated this Jacobean tragedy as a marathon and not a sprint, saving his character’s epitomizing suffering for last.

The remainder of the cast provided adequate support for the play.  Kudos to Alonzo and Tomaza’s connection, Lollia’s whip cracking, Francisca’s and Antonia’s portrayals of madness, and Alibius’s vocal character.

However, with handfuls of murder, rape, and seduction, the actors are certainly not lacking in dramatic substance, making the frequent misses for appropriate amounts of energy and emotion of much of the supporting cast a disappointment.  At times, the performers would blend into the background, failing to identify the traits demanded by their roles.  Are you reacting to  being assaulted or flirted with?  Do you care that your lodging was set on fire?  On the other hand, there were occasions when overemphasis was the problem.  Just because a show is written in early modern English does not necessarily mean that you must gesticulate widely in order to get across every sexual innuendo to a college-based audience.

Costumes established a seemingly Victorian time period for the show.  On the whole, clothing suited both the character and maintained a consistent fashion style, yet many articles were visibly unfitted.  Sadly, the fact that Alsemero’s pants could barely stay zipped was too obvious to ignore.

Technical aspects of the production were fairly restrained, permitting greater focus on the happenings of the show, as was appropriate.  With the exception of decorative doors positioned upstage, the set was completely bare, which was highlighted by the fact that most lighting effects were lost on the curtains in the backdrop.  The interjections of music and sound effects aligned with the time period set by the costumes and easily enhanced the show’s ambiance.

Taking into account the shortcomings of some of its performers, Willing Suspension Productions’ “The Changeling” does not subtract from Middleton and Rowley’s well-crafted drama and therefore offers an enjoyable experience for those hankering for a good dark drama with a touch of comedy.

“The Changeling” opens tonight, and runs March 31 through April 2 at BU’s Student Theater at Agganis Arena.  Performances begin at 7:00pm and last for 2 hours, including a 15 minute intermission.  Admission is $5 for students and $7 for general admission.

About Rachel Stine

Rachel Stine (COM'12) is the Campus Editor for the Quad. She loves sailing the uncharted waters of BU's campus goings-on to uncover some of its deepest secrets and hidden treasures.

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3 Comments on “‘Changeling’ Challenges BU Theater”

  1. Why don’t you go to an actual performance and then write a review? Seems unprofessional to base your opinions on a dress rehearsal. . .

  2. Because…going to a dress rehearsal (given that there’s no preview) is how professionals review theater? Or what, you want us to wait until half the 3-day run is over to get something published?

    It’s also not a negative review, but seems very fair to me. And it’s giving BU theater press. Fail to see why it would be upsetting.

  3. For what it is worth, I helped direct this production and we invited the reviewer to the dress rehearsal. We found the review to be tough but honest, thoughtful, and even handed, which we appreciated. Some of the drawbacks the review noted were doubtlessly alleviated in the real performances (almost no one ever “underacts” or “underreacts” when faced with a full house) but no one should want or expect a proleptic review. The first commentator’s sense of pique is generous, but not shared by any of the hard working and talented actors of Willing Suspension Productions; their professionalism extends to reviews and responses by all audience members –critical or otherwise.

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