Studio Series II triumphs
By George Graves
Old Gold and Black Reviewer

The beginning of March means many things. It means the first signs of spring. It means high expectations for the Deacons in the NCAA tournament. And it means a new Studio Series show from University Theatre.

All right, so it's still nasty and thirty degrees outside, and everyone outside of Winston-Salem has doubts about us doing any damage in the tourney. Yet one out of three is certainly not bad, especially with the phenomenal lineup that the second Studio Series of the season had to offer.

Up first was "Grandma Duck is Dead," written by Larry Shue and directed by senior Aaron Bokros.

The one-act show focuses on Woody, a college student in 1968, played by senior Lee Briggs, and the experience he has on the evening before he graduates. Woody has to finish his final paper before he can graduate, but becomes distracted by one last visit from his pals, including roommate Ben Davidson, (senior Mike Albanese), friends Badge (freshman Scotty Candler) and Tim Esperanza (sophomore Joey Picard) and Badge's girlfriend Paula (sophomore Melissa Jones).

Through their wild discussions and an experiment with hypnotism, they realize the importance of their friendship, and that no matter how much other things change, they'll still have the connection they've made with each other.

The most notable aspect of this show is the amazing chemistry the cast had.

With only a little over two weeks of rehearsals, there isn't a whole lot of time to develop chemistry.

Yet each actor was so perfectly cast in his or her role that it worked. Dialogue flowed so smoothly that it was possible to forget that you were watching a play and instead feel a part of their world.

Briggs did an especially good job as Woody, easily shifting characters and personalities.

It is quite ironic that his final performance at the university showcased a senior about to leave his college life behind, and he delivered it superbly and symbolically.

The cast members also did an amazing job with the scenic design, transporting us into Woody's world. Woody's room would be eerily recognizable to any college student, with random objects such as Coke bottles, cigarettes, and clothes strewn everywhere. Likewise, costume designers seniors Ali Ayala and Amber Wiley made the characters easily recognizable in their time period dress.

"Grandma Duck is Dead" was overall an amazing production full of laughs and amazement.

Meanwhile, the subsequent one-act, "The Most Massive Woman Wins," written by Madeline George and directed by senior Erin Wade, seems to be the complete opposite of "Grandma Duck." Instead of a traditional play format, it is comprised of a series of small scenes and monologues.

While the former was full of comedy and irreverence, the latter has a very serious undertone, dealing with issues of body image, including being overweight, eating disorders and self-mutilation. The elaborate set from "Grandma" was replaced with a minimalist design, and the costumes dulled to neutral, formless colors.

Yet the one thing that remained the same was the amazing quality of the performances.

Wade cast Ayala, senior Hillary Heard and juniors Katie Henderson and Sarah Wynne as four women waiting for an operation at a liposuction clinic. Each has her own, unique story to tell; yet they all draw parallels. Each woman is disgusted (or someone else is) by her physical appearance. They're too fat, too thin and not beautiful enough for society.

Behind each story, behind the pain and the loss, lies a voice pleading to be separated from the body. There is more to someone than meets the eye, and the women prove that with their tales.

It was hard to watch this performance without being brought to a lack of words. Each of the actresses presented a powerful performance that will be hard to forget.

The minimalist design forced the audience to focus on the women's words rather than unnecessary scenery, and the introductory slide show helped the audience to realize the horrible stereotypes that society places on women and their body images.

The two shows of Studio Series II at first glance didn't seem to fit together at all, and initially that was a drawback. However, the impact that both of these shows had on the audience proves that when theatre is done well, anything is possible.