Student Run Theater Worth Checking Out…

COURTESY OF THE RUDE MECHANICALS

If you could think of one pop-culture reference to associate with the 1950’s what would it be? Elvis? Chuck Berry perhaps? Well, that would be pretty accurate. How about Twelfth Night? That Shakespeare play about cross dressing, drinking, and falling in love with the wrong person….

Well the Rude Mechanicals, a Shakespeare loving student run theater troupe at AU, definitely took a risk last weekend with their wonderfully bubbly and whimsical production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. The music and costumes fed into the theme, but the 50’s theme fit so well with the script in a Grease meets bubble-gum pop sorta way. Before the show started, and all throughout the scene changes, popular Elvis songs and other cutesy love songs of the decade were played throughout the theater. Earth Angel definitely brought back some memories of Grease…The girls had cute curls, red lips, and adorable costumes to match the men’s white T’s and leather jackets.

OLLIE ATKINS / US ARCHIVES

There was live guitar and song on stage which perfectly balanced the awkwardness of the character of Malvolio wearing sheer yellow pants (or yellow cross garters as Shakes called them). It’s a really typical Shakespeare play: girl dresses up as a guy to get to know her man better, but in the meantime a woman falls in the love with the cross-dressed girl. Obviously, in a long drawn out final scene where clearly WE GET IT BY NOW, everything works itself out and they all live happily ever after. It ends with that famous, “with hey, ho, the wind and the rain” speech that we all know and love so well, but can never seem to quite figure out where it’s from.

Student directed productions often face a challenge to get large audiences, since they A. are never required to be seen for a class or B. people are rather skeptical about them. I’m not sure why though, since the hard work of our peers is really rather respectable. The directors, actors, and crew all put a very professional looking show together. This show did actually get a great turnout for all four performances this past weekend. The show was in Kreeger Recital Hall…wayyyy behind South Side, so that could have turned some people away, but regardless, our students should support one another!

The Rude Mechanicals, and AU Players (another student run theater group) put up about two shows a semester and put in tons of effort, which they can only hope will get the attention they deserve. You know who can help this wonderful cause of student theater? YOU! Next time you hear of a show on campus…gather your floor, or your favorite TDR date and bring them on over to a student run show.

Keep your eyes open for the AU Player’s spring performance of Hearts and Minds, and the Rude Mechanicals’ performance of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.