April 13, 2007

Festival Playhouse Presents The Madwoman of Chaillot

KALAMAZOO, MI – Festival Playhouse of Kalamazoo College closes its 43rd season, “Stories Staged,” with THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT, by Jean Giradoux, May 17-20 at Nelda K. Balch Playhouse. Tickets on Thursday night are only $1.00, but must be purchased at the door. Tickets for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. For reservations, call 269.337.7333. Sunday's performance occurs at 2 PM, all others are 8 PM.

At once a comedy and an escapist fantasy, THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT grew out of the frustration and drudgery of occupied Paris in 1942. Its central character is the lovable and self-assured eccentric Aurelia, who lives her life unfettered by logical expectations. When a cartoonish group of businessmen in suits decide to destroy the neighborhood of Chaillot to get at the oil they believe lies underneath, Aurelia hatches her own plan to save Paris and get rid of the "bad guys" once and for all. Although the play is grounded in the hardships of French life during World War II, the playfulness, the comedy, and some of the politics of THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT will resonate with audiences of all ages today. The play is directed by Mellon Post-doctoral Teaching Fellow, D. Ohlandt, who said, "We're trying to respect the historical moment without losing the wonderful comedy of the characters and their behavior. So, we have books, images and fact sheets lying about with all this obscure information about life in Paris during the Nazi Occupation. At the same time we have actors playing two, three, or four characters, while using funny voices, some light clowning, and outlandish, out-of-period costumes.”

D. Ohlandt earned her Ph.D. in Theatre from the University of Michigan in summer of 2006, after spending a year at the University of Sydney (Australia) on a Fulbright Fellowship. She specializes in theatre practice (acting and directing) and 20th-century Western drama. Her recent research includes work on representations of disability and on methods of observing theatre artists in rehearsal.

The set will also reflect the cartoonish feeling of the play. Director of Technical Theatre and set designer, Jon Reeves said “as I read MADWOMAN, I thought almost immediately of the movie NANNY MCPHEE and its great juxtaposition of a period style with truly non-period color and details and started my sketches from there. I wanted the set to surround the audience so they became part of this women's world as well.”

For more information, visit www.kzoo.edu/theatre or 269-337-7333.

A Fellowship in Learning: At Home in the World, Kalamazoo College is a national liberal arts college and the creator and home of the Kalamazoo Plan. By emphasizing scholarship, civic engagement, and foreign study, Kalamazoo College cultivates a fellowship in learning among students, faculty, and a community of scholars throughout the world. Its students shape elements of the Kalamazoo Plan—rigorous academics, career internships, study abroad, service-learning, and a senior individualized project—into an educational experience that provides insight into the meaning of the kind of citizenship that is at home in the world.