Tonight is a big night for the Dartmouth Department of Drama. It is both the opening performance of their Winter term mainstage production and the U.S. premiere of Irish poet/playwright Tom Mac Intyre's "Sheep's Milk on the Boil."
What is "Sheep's Milk on the Boil?" It is an energetic romp through Irish idiom and folklore. It is an exploration of the line between life and death. It is a dramatic venture into what happens when reality and the supernatural collide. And above all, it is an eloquent expression of human experience in a world where these distinctions are blurred.
This production comes into existence tonight due to the efforts of an all-student cast, director Paul Gaffney, costume designer Margaret Spicer, lighting designer Dan Kotlowitz, and resident set designer Georgi Alexi-Meskhishvili, to name a few.
The costumes are said to beautifully transcend time from past through the future while the set has been hailed as "realistic, yet uncanny."
"This is a strange, mystical world that we are presenting to the audience, one that I think they will find interesting, puzzling and wondrous," actor Andy Hoey '01 said.
Hoey and Alexis McGuinness '03 head the talented cast as Matt and Biddy, a couple who live on a remote Irish island.
The play begins with Matt returning to the island from the mainland with a looking glass in tow. This looking glass is the catalyst for a whole series of thought provoking and comic situations.
Matt and Biddy are joined on stage by a vivid ensemble of supernatural visitors from various time periods, myths and social classes. The plot thickens when several of these spirits (Kristina Klebe '01 and Chad Goodridge '01) extend advances towards Matt and Biddy, changing their lives forever.
As the plot twists and turns, Matt, Biddy and all of their other-worldly companions are drawn into a poetic celebration of myth, language, sexuality, power and love. Enhanced by live traditional Irish music and song, it proves to be a heady and exciting mix of themes.
On the eve of their first performance Hoey had these thoughts to share: "I've definitely enjoyed working with the script. The language is beautiful and the content is so multi-layered," he said.
"Plus, trying to master the Irish accent has been fun. I'm very much looking forward to having an audience. Although you can do an infinite amount of work on your character as an actor, there comes a point where you are restless for the energy of the audience."
According to a member of the stage management team, Sabrina Peric '03, "This is one of the best productions I've ever worked on. The cast is wonderful and the amazing direction, costumes, stage and set design make what could be a challenging script very approachable."
Hoey spoke of the preparation process for tonight's debut performance: "The rehearsal process has been wonderful. We as a cast get along very well and I think that dynamic translates on the stage. Paul Gaffney is an excellent director in letting us freely play in these roles yet steadily guiding us down the right path."
"Sheep's Milk on the Boil" will be staged in Moore Theater. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, through Saturday, Feb. 17.
Additionally, the show will be staged Wednesday, Feb. 21 through Saturday, Feb. 24.
A matine performance at 2 p.m. is scheduled Sunday, Feb. 25.
