The Bowdoin Orient

November 17, 2000
Volume CXXXII, Number 10

The Visit: Tragedy, romance,
and grotesque comedy

by JULIE THOMPSON - STAFF WRITER

  It sometimes seems that Bowdoin students need more things to talk about. Everyone has experienced those awkward silences at dinner, with roommates or team members, when you know you should be talking about something, but either no one can muster the energy to start up a conversation or there simply isn't anything worth discussing that hasn't been hashed out many times before (election, anyone?).
   Thankfully, the Department of Theater and Dance has given us a solution to this recurring problem. This weekend, The Visit, a play by Friedrich Dürrenmatt will be performed at Pickard Theater on Friday and Saturday nights.
   Drawing from an incredible variety of resources in the Bowdoin community and beyond, The Visit presents a rich tapestry of lush imagery and visual effects, intriguing social questions, and, of course, some of the finest acting this side of Boston.
  The Visit focuses on two central themes: how far people will go for money-and how they can justify their subsequent actions-and on a more personal level, the desire for revenge when someone is horribly wronged. It tells the story of a woman, Claire Zachanassian (played by Kristina Balbo '01) who is badly maligned by her lover at a young age.
   She leaves the town, which in the years after her departure falls under hard economic times. When she finally returns, she has become the wealthiest woman in the world.
   Claire offers to help the town by giving its citizens one million dollars, but under one ghastly condition: they must murder the man who wronged her so many years ago.
The cast of The Visit is composed of students from all different parts of campus, and students participate in all aspects of production; most actors even fill more than one role. Says Eric Legris '03, who plays Claire's son, "It's such a friendly atmosphere backstage; it's like a party."
   Of his character, he says that "the son is suffering from, as his father would say, 'no morals or standards.' He's influenced by the power of materialism."
   He also says of the play that although "it seems like we've been working on it for so long, we've achieved much more than we ever expected."
   As the first production by the department of the semester, The Visit takes full advantage of the brand new, entirely updated Pickard Theater.
   As glim-psed last year in the spring semester production of Evita, the renovations that modified this space make possible a whole host of innovations in set design and lighting which were not feasible before its reconstruction.
   Davis Robinson, professor of theater and director of The Visit, says he is excited to be able to fully utilize "the power of Pickard" in a show with so many "imaginative possibilities."
   As Robinson states in the program, The Visit is a play that provides unlimited opportunities to play, to create imaginative designs, to explore characters, and to learn about the true nature of ensemble and choral work. It is a story that swings wildly between tragedy, romance, and grotesque comedy." This collaborative element is strikingly clear from a sampling of the many departments involved in the play's production.
   The music department especially has played a key role in developing myriad additional effects, including an original composition by Francis Kayali '01 which incorporates piano and choral elements into the finale.
   Contributors from outside Bowdoin have also put tremendous effort into the aesthetic aspects of the production; the costume and set designers, Helen Rasmussen and Judy Gailen respectively, have done work in such venues as Mad Horse Theatre in Portland, Yale Drama School, and the Opera Company of Philadelphia.
   Robinson hopes that The Visit will provide an opportunity for students and community members to get out and experience theater in a social as well as academic context. He says of the role of theater at Bowdoin,
   "It's a way to weave cultural, social, and academic life together, as well as an opportunity for students to participate in production." He mentioned President Edwards' call for the college to develop a "culturally active life," and believes that theater is an excellent way to bring out this life on campus.
  The Visit provides more than conversational fodder; it presents an amazing array of fascinating issues that will keep audience members pondering for a long time to come. The show is playing Friday and Saturday(sorry, opening night was Thursday) at 8 p.m. at Pickard Theater.
   Tickets are free with Bowdoin ID, $5 without ID. And while we know how far Bowdoin students will go for $250, murder and revenge are sure to provide much more exciting entertainment, as well as something to think about.

Townspeople wrestle with a terrifying proposition in The Visit. (Krista Friedrichs/Department of Theater and Dance)