University of Toledo to present Sartre’s NO EXIT

The University of Toledo Department of Theatre & Film, will present its production of philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialist play, NO EXIT, in February. The play will be directed by UT Theatre student, Andrés Medina.

Performances are Friday, February 19 through Sunday, February 21, and Friday, February 26 through Sunday, February 28. All performances will start at 7:30 p.m., except for Sundays which are at 2 p.m.

NO EXIT written by Jean-Paul Sartre, takes place in hell where three souls are mysteriously placed in the same room. There they are trapped together for eternity, where they begin to realize the binding force keeping them there, is one from within. During the course of the play the characters reflect on their past, and share all of the unforgivable things they have done throughout their lives. The classic theme, “Hell is other people,” is presented as the story begins to unfold.

Medina says he is excited to explore the play’s theme of life after death and intrigued by Sartre’s philosophy. “Everybody wonders about death and the meaning of life. I was also interested in Sartre’s philosophy that human beings supply meaning to the big questions of life and death out of their own experience of each.”

The set will be minimalist says, Medina. “Especially with this kind of play, I prefer to rely on movement, on the actors and their characters, to captivate the audience and hold their interest.”

Medina is a UT senior majoring in Theatre. While NO EXIT is his directorial debut, he assistant directed the UT productions of “Cabaret” and “The Adding Machine.” “The Adding Machine” was invited to be performed at the 2015 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Region 2. He was also the Assistant Stage Manager for UT’s production of “Orpheus.” Professionally, he served as the Stage manager for the Glacity Theatre Collective’s production of  “House of Vinyl.”

On stage, Medina has played roles in various UT-produced plays such as “Twelfth Night,” “Miss Julie,” “Cabaret,” “Out to Lunch,” “Ghost Light,” “Three Sisters,” “Metamorphoses,” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” His professional acting credits include a role in Glacity Theatre Collective’s “Nightmares Come in Threes.”

Prices for performances of NO EXIT are: $8 – Students, Children; $10 – Seniors (60+), Military, UT Faculty/Staff/Alumni; $15 General Public. To purchase tickets or for more information on this event, visit www.utoledo.tix.com or call 419.530.ARTS (2787)

Cast

·       “Garcin”  Davion T. Brown (double-majoring in Theatre and Communication at UT, senior)

·       “Inez” Olivia M. Pierce (majoring in Theatre and minoring in Art at UT, junior)

·       “Estelle” Christina M. Pinciotti (majoring in Theatre and minoring in Communication at UT, junior)

·       “Valet” Reshi Phillips (double majoring in Theatre & Film at UT, sophomore)

For more information about other events presented by the UT College of Communication and the Arts and its programs, visit www.utoledo.edu/cocaevents.

Twelfth Night – Center for Performing Arts Center Theatre

Cornel Gabara and I arrived at Incheon Airport in S. Korea yesterday afternoon after a fourteen hour flight. To give you some background: We have been invited to spend six weeks directing an MFA Master’s Thesis production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (in Korean!) at Kookmin University.

We opted to take the subway into Seoul (a cheaper and more interesting way to observe local culture). Among my first observations: Infrastructure!
In addition to being beautiful and cosmopolitan, Incheon Airport is extremely practical, clean and everything works! They have some great touches, such as bathroom stalls equipped with special high chairs to hold your toddler still–something I appreciated deeply, since we had our jet-lagged eight and two-year olds in tow.

The subway system is very new, clean and air conditioned. The edge is completely enclosed with a glass wall and glass doors, making falling onto the track virtually impossible. I have lived in New York and Paris and these trains put both their subways, which I always admired, to shame! Granted, those systems are much older, having pioneered service around the turn of the twentieth century. South Korea built its first line in 1974. In fact, South Korea, began really modernizing itself in the 1960’s and has completely transformed its economy and infrastructure at breakneck speed. It has become a world class economy and a democracy. Some estimates put its per capita income on par with that of the European Union.

We are staying in a skyrise in the Insadong district, a vibrant, artistic center at the heart of the city of Seoul. This sprawling metropolis boasts a population of eleven million in the city proper, and as many as twenty five million, if you include all the suburbs.

Insadong is full of streets and alleys plastered with all manner of cafes, restaurants, and everything in between. This is clearly a gastronomical city and in addition to traditional fare, there are international restaurants and American food chains all around. Shops containing fashionable clothing, art supplies, musical instruments and art galleries fill the spaces in between and skyscrapers tower over our heads. I wish I could tell you more about the city, but unfortunately we have had little chance to explore thus far.

In the evening, I gazed out at the alternating skylines and bright lights which were reminiscent of Times Square. We went to bed very early, but got little sleep. I don’t suffer from jetlag, but our sleepless daughters kept us all awake. As they tossed and turned, my attention was caught by a lonely police siren which wailed momentarily and then stopped, almost shyly. It made me aware of the silence.
I continued to listen…
No cars honking, no sirens, no shouts, no music.
None of the familiar big city sounds that I have become accustomed to in my travels…
This was a Thursday night, in the heart of downtown–and I know Koreans like to party–yet unlike any other large city I have been in, there was no sound to be heard.
A curious observation, perhaps indicative of the combination of hard work, discipline and passion that it has taken to build up this country almost overnight–or perhaps not.
It is after all, Friday today.
I guess we will find out tonight!

Cornel Gabara and Irene Alby

Cornel Gabara, associate professor of Theatre, and Irene Alby, Theatre lecturer, are currently in Seoul, South Korea, where they are co-directing a production of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The two were invited by Kookmin University to direct the play, which will be performed by student actors who are performing it as a master’s thesis production. It will open to the public on September 7, 2012.

The play is familiar territory for Gabara who directed the UT production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which was staged in Toledo’s historic Valentine Theatre last November. However, he says this production won’t look the same as the one presented in Toledo.

“In Korea, you have a different language and a different culture so it will also have a different design. It will have more video elements and more choreography,” says Gabara. His wife and co-director Irene Alby will direct the video and choreography and Gabara will handle the text analysis, although they will also collaborate and share ideas across their roles.

Alby says that while she will bring her own direction and design concepts, they are not set in stone. “I will be relying on them [student cast and crew members] and their familiarity with the culture to guide me. I have already sent my ideas to them for their consideration and I’m anxious to see what their thoughts are.”

Even though Gabara does not speak Korean, he has much experience with translating Shakespeare into foreign languages. Aided by an interpreter, he has worked through the text to provide a translation that is the most meaningful to his Korean audience and best relates Shakespeare’s work. The interpreter will also help Alby and Gabara as they direct the actors.

Gabara adds that language isn’t necessarily the biggest challenge. “The real challenge is how do we express the universality of Shakespeare with Korean cultural elements. It’s still the same play. The comedy and the concepts of opposing forces—male and female, night and day, dark and light, powerful and powerless—they are still there. But the form they take will be different. It will reflect Korean culture.”

Those interested can learn more about the progress of the play on the UT Department of Theatre & Film blog and Facebook fan page. Here are the links:

http://wordpress.utoledo.edu/cvpa/index.php/about/

http://www.facebook.com/UTTheatreFilm