French and Italian Professor John Rassias has taken his classroom theatrics to the real stage with a self-written play that debuted in Irvington, N.Y. over the weekend.
The eight-scene play, "Caleche," or "Love and Women in Eighteenth Century France (A Male Point of View)," is based on the novels of seven of the most influential writers of the genre, including Voltaire and the Marquis de Sade.
"I believe that the presentation of the play will offer to both an academic and non-academic audience an interesting interpretation of love and a fresh appreciation of the roles women played in the literature of that turbulent period," Rassias said.
The play opened this weekend with two shows featuring Rassias, English Professor William Cook, French Professor Isabell Koper and a student ensemble including French and drama majors.
Rassias said the play was inspired by a class he taught on love and women in 18th century France.
Jennifer Javornik '95, co-director of the production, said the performance has run very smoothly. "There has been a collaborative effort from everyone involved. There has also been positive response from alumni groups," she said.
The production will be performed in Hanover and the troupe might perform in the Washington, D.C./Maryland area in the spring.
Javornik said the play has been a workshop production and parts may be rewritten for clarity based on the first performances.
"We may find that there is too much information or too many novels presented. We may also find that extensive program notes may help the audience," she said.
