Have you ever wanted to switch your boyfriend or girlfriend for someone else's? Ever wanted to see what life would be like if you had made a different choice about going to college or getting a job?
Ever wanted a second chance at anything at all -- the chance to rewind your life and see if a certain change would make it all different?
Playwright J.M. Barrie evidently thought of such possibilities for change in one's life -- and put them into a play.
"Dear Brutus" is a witty fantasy about choices made in the past and the courage it takes to accept or change them. The play, directed by Peter Hackett '75, opens in Moore Theater Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 for the general public and $3 for Dartmouth students.
Hackett recently started teaching in the theater department after running theaters in Milwaukee and Cleveland. He graduated from Dartmouth as a theater major. A huge fan of Barrie's, he had directed "Mary Rose" and produced "Kiss for Cinderella" in his days at professional theater companies.
"Dear Brutus" was chosen a year ago when Dartmouth asked Hackett for a winter show suggestion.
The timing has been uncanny. "Finding Neverland," the Academy Award nominated film starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, has created tons of industry buzz for Barrie and his plays. As if that weren't enough, this past weekend's Winter Carnival theme centered on Barrie's most famous creation, "Peter Pan."
However, the youthful story of "Peter Pan" is generally uncharacteristic of Barrie's plays. "Dear Brutus" may be part fantasy, but its roots are in complex relationships and social anxieties. Many of Barrie's plays center around tragedies in life.
Barrie included in his plays the theme that, as he once famously said in a 1922 speech to St. Andrew's University, "happiness always manages to break through."
"The audience should leave with the moral that happiness and change is our own responsibility. The question Barrie is asking is 'Can we change?' and 'Do we have the courage to face those choices and face our own shortcomings?'" said Hackett.
"Dear Brutus" begins with a group of people gathering at a mysterious host's mansion on Mid-Summer's Eve -- without knowing the reasons for the party. In Act II, the characters enter a fantasy world where everyone gets to change something in his or her life, and everything gets much more complicated. Partners switch, social classes are compromised, and the characters see a different path that their lives could have taken.
Theater major Tommy Dickie '05 plays John Purdie, an upper class philanderer. With ten mainstage productions under his belt, Dickie has one of the biggest, wordiest and most challenging parts of the play.
"It's been quite a challenge trying to do all the character work that I'd like to do, given all the rehearsal time and brain-farting line memorization. It's been refreshing [working with Peter Hackett] because he truly speaks to us in terms of our character's relationships, objectives and obstacles," said Dickie.
Although complicated and emotional, the show maintains humor and wit. It begins as a period piece, but delves into a fantasy world for a large part of the story.
"This show's got it all -- humor, romance, surprises, a beautiful and intricate design, and emotional punch. It'll go down like smooth champagne, whatever that means!" said Dickie.
Gorgeous, fantastical sets and intricately designed costumes complete the show's beautiful aura. Professional designers help create an original and eccentric look for the show, but almost every aspect of the show was constructed or put together by students.
The bells and whistles also include original music. Lewis Flinn, a professional composer from New York, composed a score specifically for this production. Over 20 musical cues -- complete with a full percussion and woodwind ensemble -- will play throughout the show.
Eleven actors will bring the production to life. The unusually young cast includes five members of the Class of 2008, among them Christa Hinckley '08.
This will be her second mainstage show in as many terms at Dartmouth and she will play Lady Caroline Laney, a pompous socialite with an unfortunate speech problem.
"The people involved [in the production] are incredibly fun and talented. The stories throughout the show are touching and easy to get caught up into, and the intricate sets and costumes are sure to impress," said Hinckley.
The cast has rehearsed four hours a day, six days a week for the past six weeks. A huge commitment for all those involved, the fruition of their efforts promises to reflect all the dedication and hard work.
"If we all didn't love this, we wouldn't do it. Rehearsals are what I look forward to every day, and they are well worth the final product," said Hinckley.
Tickets are now on sale at the Hopkins Center Box Office. The show runs in the Moore Theater Feb.17-19 at 8 p.m., Feb. 23-25 at 8 p.m., and Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. A spotlight discussion will follow the Feb. 18 performance.
