UIndy to perform ‘Arms and the Man’
George Bernard Shaw’s romantic comedy “Arms and the Man” will be performed at the University of Indianapolis on Oct. 21-22 and 27-29 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 23 at 3 p.m.
Every year the theatre department alternates between a classic and a musical. “Shame: A Musical Adaptation” was performed last fall, so this year the theatre department was looking for something different.
Senior theatre students Nathan Pellow and Kyrsten Lyster rehearse for the University of Indianapolis’ upcoming production “Arms and the Man.” The two actors play Major Sergius Saranoff and Louka in the play. Photo by Alexander Beauford
“We were looking for a classical piece, not Shakespeare, because we had just done one [“A Comedy of Errors”], and as we were doing our search, we realized we haven’t done a Shaw piece in forever,” said Director of Theatre Brad Wright.
During this search, cast size, age and roles were carefully selected.
“You never know who exactly is going to audition,” Wright said. “We were looking for a script that had good roles for women, because we have strong women in the department. [We also wanted] a cast size that wasn’t too large, because we just had a bunch of people graduate.”
With a cast of eight, including some strong female characters, “Arms and the Man” best fit all of their criteria. The play explores concepts of both marriage and war.
“The way it applies to now is really cool,” said sophomore theatre and chemistry major Ross Percell, who will appear in the play as Capt. Bluntschli.
Percell said that the play, set in the late 1880s, has similarities to the present. In both the play and the world today there are wars, political issues and a unique array of people searching for their purposes in life.
“It is a serious topic, but Shaw is known for his light treatment of those more serious topics,” Wright said. “We’re talking about war.”
The war depicted in this play is the two-week-long Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885, and the play follows a Swiss mercenary soldier in the Serbian army who flees the battle and seeks shelter in the home of a young Bulgarian woman. This woman is not only the daughter of the enemy’s general, but she also is engaged to one of the heroes of the war.
“Arms and the Man” involves a number of social issues, including war and its effects.
Social class also presents itself in the play, portrayed by the differences between the servant class and the higher class in a small Bulgarian town.
“It’s a satire of war. It’s a satire of class and a lot of the characters in the play are either exaggerations of war heroes or an exaggeration of the extremes of class,” Percell said. “There’s a family that’s very wealthy, and they think they are much more grand than what they really are. There’s a war hero who thinks he’s just this amazing war hero when really he’s just a bumbling idiot.”
While the play is a satire and a comedy, other features make it even more multifaceted.
“The elements in it are very real, and there are very real moments in the play where you’re not going to want to bust out laughing,” Percell said. “It’ll make people think, but it’s also funny. It’s entertaining to watch.”
The play is also deeply rooted in historical context. Despite how short the Serbo-Bulgarian War was, it was not without severe consequences.
“It’s about this very obscure moment, but it is a very important moment because it is a domino that falls that eventually leads to World War I,” Wright said.
Wright believed it was important for the cast to understand the political, social and historical contexts of the play.
Prior to beginning rehearsal for the play, he conducted history lessons with the actors. He said these lessons were challenging because of all of the historic significance covered in the play.
The history lessons were not the only challenges that the production faced. The cast for the play is very young and contains three freshmen, one of whom plays the female lead, Raina Petkoff. Another major character, the father of Raina, is also played by a freshman.
“It’s a challenge but it’s also an opportunity,” Wright said. “It’s a lot of fun working with the younger students and seeing the progress that is being made.”
While the three freshmen are new to the University of Indianapolis theatre department, they are not new to theatre. Each of the students has been involved in performing arts in the past.
Percell commends the work the freshmen have put into the production.
“Particularly Elise Campagna,” he said. “[She’s] playing the lead girl and has done an amazing job. They all take direction very well and none of us could ask for it to be cast any other way. They’re doing a fantastic job.”
Unlike the play, the scenery in it is nonrealistic. Designed by Production Manager and Technical Director Fritz Bennett, the scenery is a series of arches. It was inspired by research Fritz did on the architecture similar to that of the location and time period.
“If people aren’t tied up in the politics of the play, they will enjoy it because it’s very funny,” Percell said. “I think if people go to it to enjoy it, and also maybe are apt to think a little bit when they’re watching it, they’ll have a really good time listening to the ideas and arguments presented.”
Wright hopes everyone will be able to enjoy the hard work the actors put into the production. Despite its weighty content, he encourages people to try something new by seeing the play and perhaps even learning something about history or politics from it.
“The students shouldn’t be intimidated by the fact that it’s George Bernard Shaw,” he said.
Tickets are free for UIndy students and $10 for general admission. Groups of eight or more, seniors, non-UIndy students and UIndy alumni tickets are $8.
