Quinnipiac University’s Mainstage Theater Productions will perform the second part of “Lydie Breeze” starting Nov. 6 in the Clarice L. Buckman Theater on campus.
“The play functions as metaphor for the American experience and offers us all an opportunity to examine our beliefs about our country-beliefs which unite us and beliefs which divide us,” Director Crystal Brian said.
As the first performance approaches, the cast has been devoting numerous hours to the play, practicing their lines and learning the best way in which to present their characters under the direction of Dr. Crystal Brian.
The upcoming production is a play based on the revised version of part two of the play “Lydie Breeze,” originally written in 1982 as a trilogy by John Guare. “The Sacredness of the Next Task,” part two of “Lydie Breeze,” reveals the devastating truth Joshua Hickman, played by Kevin Daly, realizes because the idealistic society in which he sees fit to live is nonexistent and seems forever imaginary. The play takes place on the island of Nantucket after the Civil War.
“Everything’s chaos, everything’s waste, everything’s violence, everything’s destructive,” Brian said when describing the nature of the play.
Brian also added that the play focuses on the idea of a new beginning.
“Until you let go of the past, that can’t happen,” she said.
The play’s cast members are Kevin Daly, Danielle King, Allison Clark, Shawn Grindle, David Brand, Alexandra Chuba, Matthew Tortora, Claudia Ostojic, Rich Williams, and Casey Manning. Also helping are Nikki Levine, assistant director, Sue Dering, stage manager, Scott Maltz, the production technician, and Professor Jeff Jacoby, who is leading a group of students in sound production for the play.
In her first time as assistant director, Levine, a junior, has had the ability to work with all members participating in the production.
“I’m the liaison between Crystal, the director, and the actors,” she said.
Both Brian and Levine feel that the play is quite difficult.
“I believe it’s the hardest play we’ve ever done since I’ve been here,” Levine said.
Brian added the difficulty of performing this play stems from Guare’s use of images and metaphors in his writing to convey a sense of politics, philosophy, and emotion.
“To discover and make real those multiple levels of meaning, and to communicate those meanings to an audience, is a challenging task for the most adept professional actors,” Brian said. “For students to tackle this type of material is, I think, quite brave.”
Since the production will be the second of two parts in “Lydie Breeze,” Brian mentioned that there would be a director’s note presented before the play begins that will describe events leading up to the second part’s events. According to Brian, performing both plays would be quite extensive.
“The second play stands alone more than the first play,” she added.
Performances of “The Sacredness of the Next Task,” will take place Nov. 6 through Nov. 10. All performances begin at 8pm., except for Sunday’s performance, which will begin at 2 p.m.
