The director, J. Morgan Drmaj '95 wrote, "...I'm willing to bet that at some point in your life you said, 'This is hell'. I'm telling you now. You ain't seen nothing yet...."
"No Exit" is an existentialist play written by Jean-Paul Sartre. Drmaj described the script as an intriguing blend of drama and comedy. "It's a fun play. You basically get to watch three people really go at each other for an hour," he said.
Drmaj is confident that his production has something in it for everyone.
"There are still a lot of themes and elements to the play that are really timeless," he said.
To enhance the play's lasting appeal he found a newer translation and edited it selectively.
"I did a fair amount of cutting of the script, basically shortening the play and tightening it up to make it a little less dated," he said.
Drmaj explained that his personal vision for the show progressed as he went along.
"I really focused on developing the character relationships. I wanted to bring them out. They are really the most important," he said.
The cast includes Jason Hanlon '97, Heather Charles '98, Abby Marsh '99, and Karen Koontz '96, who Drmaj described as several of Dartmouth's finest actors.
"We worked as a collaborative team," he said.
Drmaj noted that he was really pleased with the finished project, especially in light of the brief rehearsal period.
He said that the first read through of the script was not until October first. "In the past four or five days, it has come together. The actors are really finding moments on stage," he said.
"No Exit" is a rare opportunity to catch a glimpse into hell; take advantage of it. "The actors have done a really good job, not just in terms of what I've seen, but what the audience sees as well," Drmaj said.
Performances will be held this afternoon at four and tomorrow night at 8 p.m. in the Warner Bentley Theater. Admission is $.50.
