Syracuse University Department of Drama to Present MELANCHOLY: A CHAMBER MUSICAL
The production runs April 28 through May 7.
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Who says sadness isn't fun? Certainly not award-winning playwright Sarah Ruhl. The Syracuse University Department of Drama closes its 2022/2023 season with Ruhl's "Melancholy Play: A Chamber Musical," directed by Daniella Caggiano, April 28 through May 7. Performances will be held in the Storch Theater at the Syracuse Stage / SU Drama Complex, 820 East Genesee St. Tickets are available through the Syracuse Stage Box Office at www.syracusestage.org/drama or by phone at 315.443.3275.
In the absurd, sensual and heartfelt play, Ruhl endows melancholy with aphrodisiac power in the person of Tilly, a bank teller whose lingering sadness attracts everyone around her. So acute is the attraction that when Tilly suddenly finds happiness, she throws the others into despair. With characteristic whimsy and nuanced seriousness, Ruhl considers the many different ways to find joy and how sadness is a necessary component of happiness.
The play's lyrical nature and musicality underscore the depth of feeling and the ways those feelings can create ripples - "Melancholy is looking out of an Open Window full of longing. Depressed is behind a thick pane of glass," wrote Ruhl.
Director Caggiano explores the tensions between the play's absurdity and serious undertones. This version of the piece is set in 2002, a time when mental health was a subversive subject, doomed to be tucked under beds and shut behind closed doors.
"Our show emphasizes how important community is, to have a community that cares, for a space to have community with other people," said Caggiano. This atmosphere of community permeates the rehearsal room which emphasizes equal collaboration and fun. "It's called a play, if we're not having fun, what are we doing."
"Melancholy Play: A Chamber Musical"
By Sarah Ruhl and Todd Almond
Directed by Daniella Caggiano
Music directed by Jacob Carll
Scenic design by Eli Golding
Costume design by Marshall Hayes Breaux
Lighting design by Andrew Patashnik
Sound design by Jacqueline R. Herter
Movement direction by Andrea Leigh-Smith
Fight and intimacy direction by Hannah Roccisano
Voice / dialect coaching by Celia Madeoy
Dramaturgy by Alexis Wilner
Stage manager: Annabelle Lamb
Cast
Samantha Harnick Tilly
Kevin Ilardi Frank
Dani Saril Frances
Eleni Stavros Joan
Franco Tomaino Lorenzo
Performances
Friday, April 28, 8 p.m. (Preview)
Saturday, April 29, 8 p.m. (Opening)
Sunday, April 30, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, May 3, 8 p.m.
Thursday, May 4, 8 p.m.
Friday, May 5, 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 6, 2 p.m. (Open Captioned)
Saturday, May 6, 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 7, 2 p.m. (ASL interpreted)
Additional Credits
Assistant Director: Kate Grover
Assistant Scenic Designer: Miranda Barrick
Assistant Costume Designer: Lillian Benge
Assistant Lighting Designer: Brooklyn Green
Assistant Sound Designer: Jay Korter
Assistant Stage Managers: Xiangyi (Annie) Meng, Lubeini Yang
Casting Associate: Carrie DeGraw
Technical Director: Randy Steffen
Assistant Technical Director: Rebecca Schuetz
Student Technical Director: Yuchao Zong
Movement Captain: Mackenzie Furlett
DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA
The Syracuse University Department of Drama offers conservatory-style training in a university setting shared with a resident, professional theater (Syracuse Stage), presenting an unparalleled combination of teaching professionals and diverse performance and production opportunities. SU Drama offers four conservatory-style bachelor of fine arts (B.F.A.) degree programs in acting, musical theater, stage management, and theater design and technology, as well as a bachelor of science (B.S.) degree program in drama that features a Theater Management track. Undergraduates put classroom theory into practice through productions and various special opportunities, including Wednesday Lab, study abroad, the NYC-based Tepper Semester, the Sorkin in L.A. Learning Practicum, numerous community engagement initiatives and the opportunity to participate in workshops or discussions with such visiting artists as Taye Diggs '93, Aaron Sorkin '83, Vanessa Williams '85, Frank Langella '59, David Henry Hwang, Tim Miller, Tony Kushner and more.
Syracuse University COLLEGE OF VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
The Syracuse University Department of Drama is housed within the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA). VPA is committed to the education of cultural leaders who will engage and inspire audiences through performance, visual art, design, scholarship and commentary. It provides the tools for self-discovery and risk-taking in an environment that thrives on critical thought and action.
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