The Racquette

Issue date: 3/14/08 Section: A&E

Media Credit: Alison Chiasson The cast members of Hedda Gabler take the stage together at the end of the show.

Last weekend the Department of Theatre and Dance performed Henrik Ibsen's play, Hedda Gabler in the Blackbox Theatre. The play, written in 1891, centers around Hedda Tesman (née Gabler) and her strained relationships with her husband and another previous love interest.

The cast included Donna Moschek as Hedda Tesman, Emily Tabolt as Juliana Tesman, Caitlin Hammer as Berthe, Kyle Parker as George Tesman, Meg Watson as Thea Elvsted, Dan Erdmann as Judge Brack, and Brandon Patterson as Eilert Lovborg. The show was directed by Susan Neal, SUNY Potsdam's Artist-in-Residence.

Music performance senior Amanda Leader found the ending to be her favorite part of the show. "It was totally unexpected and surprising...it was climatic and intense," said Leader. As a former costumer for the costume shop, Leader was also impressed "with the detail and authenticity" of the costumes. She continued, "The set was beautiful. It was very detailed...You could tell a lot of time and effort went into the making of this set."

The Blackbox Theatre was in a "thrust" set-up-audience members surrounded the stage on three sides. "After seeing it twice and from a different direction of seating it was like watching a whole new show," Leader said.

Kyle Parker, senior music education major who played the part of George Tesman, commented similarly. "It's a different experience each time." He recommended that audience members attend several performances. Depending on where they sit, "It's a different show."

This was Parker's first serious role in a drama outside of a festival. He also has worked with the Crane Opera Ensemble and participated in Potsdam's One-Act Play festivals. Parker's family drove from Rochester to attend Saturday's performance. "They had so much fun with it," and thought Hedda was "a terrible woman." Parker praised actress Donna Moschek for her performance: "She is an amazing actress to work with." It was "really a treat" to work with her and the other cast mates, said Parker.

The play will be performed again Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 17 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 for SUNY Potsdam students, $8 for faculty, staff, and senior citizens, and $10 for the general public. Tickets are available at the CPS box office in Snell Hall and will be available outside the theatre before each performance.

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