By Christy Hudson
Utah State University’s Department of Theatre Arts is utilizing their black box theatre creatively with their production of The Babylon Line, a play by Richard Greenberg.
If you have never been to a show in a black box theatre before, it is a little different than you might expect. There are less seats, and the stage is not raised. Instead, the audience and the actors are on the same level, in fairly close proximity, so the atmosphere is more intimate. With this, the audience becomes part of the play.
The story takes place within an adult-education creative writing class in Levittown, New York, in 1967. Aaron Port has recently taken on the new job of teaching this class for a little extra money. There are six students in the class, each with different backgrounds and levels of creativity, imagination, and passion.
The cast consists of seven actors. Tyler Matthew Campbell plays Aaron Port, the main narrator of the story and the teacher of the creative writing class. Madison Archibald, Rebecca Swan, and Liza Shoell play the three housewives/mothers in the class: Freida Cohen, Anna Cantor, and Midge Braverman. Alex Smith plays Jack Hassenpflug, a war veteran, and James M. Johnson plays Marc Adams, a young man who (according to Freida) “is not right in the head” because of drug use. Finally, Maddie Liddell plays Joan Dellamond, another housewife (but not mother) and general fish-out-of-water in most social circumstances.
All of the actors are very strong in their parts, which is good, because a play with only seven people in it typically consists of complex characters, and each of these characters are vastly different. Archibald really embraces the role of Freida, who is very forward and opinionated. She takes it upon herself to dominate over everyone, including the teacher. Archibald commands the role with a solid stage presence.
Campbell is onstage for the majority of the play, as both the teacher and narrator. His part includes several long monologues that can’t have been easy to memorize (although I guess all of the characters have long monologues, as they each tell their stories). His and Liddell’s character, housewife Joan, form a close bond and become the two characters we come to know best. Their relationship drives a lot of the biggest plot points, and they create a genuine likeableness between them, making it easy to sympathize with both.
But really, the whole cast does well in their respective roles. Director Michael Shipley has put together a good ensemble of actors and a thought-provoking production. The actors slide in and out of their characters with ease, transferring from the students in the class to the people in each other’s stories.
Lighting Designer Corwin Schneider magnifies the different storytellers, as each of the characters, at one point or other, tell their stories. When any of them comes forward, they are illuminated, and when another actor steps in to play a part in their story, they also become illuminated, creating the story within the story through the storyteller’s eyes.
The costumes, provided by Costume Shop Managers Lydia Semler and Maren Lyman, are recognizably from the 1960’s era. The actors basically stay in the same costumes for the whole show, although when they become the characters of each other’s stories, they will often change something small, like add a hat or jacket. There also aren’t any scene changes. The set, created by Scene Shop Manager Scott Richardson, consists of desks and a chalkboard. Even in moments when the setting is supposed to be somewhere else, it is created around the desk, making the audience imagine where the characters really are supposed to be.
I went to see The Babylon Line without knowing anything about it; I chose not to research the plot beforehand, so I could see the play with fresh eyes and no preconceived notions. As the story unfolded, I realized I could relate to the setting of a creative writing class (my college major), and some of the different personalities drawn to it, as well as the discussions, and the discomfort of being asked to read things you wrote out loud. I could also relate to all of the characters, in one way or another. The character that I disliked the most was Freida, because in terms of imagination, she and I are the opposite. She even says that she does not need an imagination, and that facts are enough for her. She is stubborn and unwilling to accept anyone else’s creativity. She and I probably would not be friends.
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Of course, even in a play about creative writing, some reality has to be included. One of my favorite parts was the epilogue, in which Aaron tells us what happened to each of the characters after the class is done. And it is revealed what kind of strange journey life can weave. We may learn to grow by taking a class for a semester, but we don’t remain that person forever. Life continues to change. So, we throw a bit of creativity into the mix, just to make it a little more bearable.
The Babylon Line has a few aspects that resonated with me personally. I think a lot of people who are passionate about creativity and art will feel the same. Utah State’s production resonates that passion in a way that could possibly help people understand others’ ways of thinking. However, I know there are people who would not enjoy this play as much. If you enjoy unique, unconventional theatre experiences that make you think and reflect, and that reach your creativity, this may be an interesting show to look into. And then, if you want, maybe try to take a creative writing class. We all have stories to tell.
*This show contains some adult themes and language.
Utah State University’s Department of Theatre Arts Presents the Babylon Line, a play by Richard Greenberg.
Black Box Studio Theatre, 600 N 1150 E, Logan, Utah, 84321
September 26-29, 2018, 7:30 PM, Matinee September 29, 2:00 PM
Tickets: $8.00-$13.00 (Free for USU students)
Contact: 435-797-0085
USU Department of Theatre Facebook Page
The Babylon Line Facebook Event
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