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Monday, October 23, 2006
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‘Emporer’ focuses on political revolt A revolution is about the take place on JMU’s campus. It will be masked, it will be fierce and it will be found at Theatre II as The Stratford Players are presenting Eugene O’Neill’s “The Emperor Jones” this week. In O’Neill’s original play, a man commits murder, goes to prison and escapes to become a tyrannical emperor. As he oppresses his subjects, the native’s resentment toward him and his government grow until he is overthrown. Only during the emperor’s escape attempt does he fully realize the natives are not as ignorant as he had believed. Originally set on a small West Indies island, this production has an intentionally ambiguous time and place, bringing the relevance of today’s world to emerge from the original 1920s play. Director Vince Zangardi said the play “deals a lot with political turmoil and idea of oppressed people rising up against a corrupt leader, the idea of revolution. “I think that in today’s current socio-political status, the concept of revolution and the idea that a small people can stand up for themselves and fight against being oppressed, it’s very poignant and relevant.” But rising up and challenging the paradigm won’t stop with just the script; it has inspired the entire experience in addition to a lot of new theatrical elements not included previously at Theatre II. “The theme of the show is revolution, but also the way we’re putting it together is revolution. We challenge ourselves and challenge the audience,” Zangardi said. Among these new aspects will be non-traditional creative movement, masks and music, promising “Emperor Jones” to be a very theatrical spectacle, not just “living-room realism,” Zangardi said. “The Emperor Jones” runs Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. each night, with an additional midnight show on Friday. Tickets will be sold at Theatre II Monday from 4 to 7 p.m., as well as at the door two hours before curtain.
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