The Wild Party
The stratford Players and Theatre II put together another dazzling ‘Party’
By Lindsay Casale, contributing writer                          
Posted on November 16, 2006

Many JMU students can say they’ve seen their fair share of parties, but until The Stratford Players’ most recent production, no one could say they’d experienced a truly “Wild Party.” Once underway, the show takes many twists and turns that leave the audience both dazzled and disturbed.

With a stark appearance comprised of black boxes, a piano and a transparent red curtain, the setting of “The Wild Party” is austere to say the least.

This simple set design allowed the actors to present their characters with little distraction, heightening the audience’s sense of conflict within the complicated relationships of the characters.

The show begins with an upbeat number entitled “Queenie Was a Blonde/Marie is Tricky/Wild Party.” This scene brought focus to one of the main characters, Queenie, played by senior Lauren Kidd.

The character of Queenie has an alluring quality, but Kidd wanted to bring more than that to her interpretation.

“I wanted to make this Queenie quirky with sex appeal,” Kidd said. “My inspiration came from Marilyn Monroe, who was able to exude sexuality and personality.”

Although the show begins with a sense of optimism and frivolity, its themes turn out to be serious and unsettling.  The character Burrs, played by senior Kevin Hasser, shows a tendency toward physical and verbal abuse. This is best conveyed in the songs “Wouldn’t it be nice?” and “Gin,” in which Burrs becomes enraged with the current state of his relationship with Queenie.

“The Wild Party” also touches on the idea of racial and ethnic identity, most apparent in the characters Gold, played by sophomore Lash Dooley, and Goldberg, played by freshman John Kirk. These two characters feel the need to change their names in order to seem more ethnically acceptable to societal standards.

Michael La Chuisa’s music provides a dynamic background for the complex interactions onstage. The songs range from sensual and fun to vengeful and sultry, while the choreography is crafted to convey the mood of each particular piece.

Senior Mor Hall gave life to the character of Kate.

“There is a lot of me in Kate; I found myself relating to her,” said Hall of her experience with the character. She said the most resonant aspect of playing Kate was her internal conflict.

“[Kate] doesn’t know what she wants from men,” she said. “She knows she can have any man she wants, but that she can only get them one way.”

Whether the mood is bright, as in the fast-paced song “Welcome to My Party,” or angry, as with Burrs’ song “How Many Women In The World?” the cast of 15 continues to impress with emotional and charismatic performances.

The show ends as unexpectedly as it begins. With an unresolved plot and a dissonant finale, the show is certain to leave a lasting effect on audience members.

“The Wild Party” is playing in Theatre II through Saturday with performances at 8 p.m with an additional performance Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale two hours before the show at Theatre II.