Sunday, October 27, 2019

Playing With Fire (After Frankenstein) performed at the Berea College Jelkyl Theater

 So.... just the other day we were walking around the Berea campus....  showing a friend who did not go there around.  I've mentioned before that my wife and I met while attending Berea College, and we love the place.  We get back there at least once a month just to enjoy the nice area.

Anyway, we saw a promo poster up promoting the upcoming (at the time) play "Playing with Fire (After Frankenstein)" which would be performed at Jelkyl Theater Building on campus.  This sounded like a great way to spend an October evening!

A couple of weeks later we found ourselves driving back to Berea.  It was an attractive night and just a nice time for getting back.

We got our $8 each alumni tickets at the will call.  A half an hour before the 8pm start time the seating area opened and the crowd of mostly students made their way to seats.

It is funny to me when I am around Berea students.  My friend and fellow Berea Grad Eric Hardin always says that its like the students there now just found our old clothes at a thrift shop.  Flannels, jeans, basic t-shirts (still, my personal daily uniform when I can wear it) are the norm.  Berea students aren't as concerned about fashion as others.  Scrappers and underdogs.  They are there to make the most of their education and college experience.  They don't care about flashing a designer name brand around.

There was a cool, layered with stairs stage set up.  It was, in ways, basic, but perfect for the play.  A VERY small cast of 6 put on a heck of a show.  There was Victor, and his monster.  Two other actors played the main characters in flashback.  There was a professor and Victor's love interest.

Creation, love, mortality and other themes you might expect are discussed and pondered.  The play got deep, but was still VERY accessible.  The play definitely kept your attention.

The play was very well done and any of the young actors would, in my opinion, be able to pull off the same character on a bigger, more professional stage if they wanted.  They all sold believably.

After the play kids talked and mingled outside of the theater.  My wife and I strolled around campus, remembering our time there....  ending a perfect evening in Berea.





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