By Kiara Catanzaro
Staff Writer
SBU Theater’s production of “Knowing and Un-Knowing” captivated audiences with its comical interpretation depicting how humans (and apes) decipher the meaning of life.
The 80-minute one-act play festival, directed by Ed. Simone, chairperson of the department of visual and performing arts, shows characters struggling to develop their understanding of life.
The production was split into six different one-act plays; each with a different scenario highlighting the theme of the production. The majority of the scenes were comical, making the play enjoyable to audiences. However, the non-comical scenes showed powerful and passionate qualities leaving an enlightened impression on audiences.
The first play, “Words, Words, Words,” showcased three apes as they contemplated their own interpretation of the meaning of life.
Brett Keegan, a senior philosophy major, Anna Martin, a freshman biology major and Makeda Loney, a junior journalism and mass communication major, played the roles of Milton, Swift and Kafka respectively. The short, but light-hearted skit was an excellent start to the drama. Their enthusiasm caught the attention of the audience from the beginning of the play.
“The Role of Della,” illustrated two characters, Brooke Perkins, a junior theater major, as Elizabeth and Hannah Vail, a freshman chemistry major, as Emma, competing for the same role in an audition. Unknown (no pun intended) to Elizabeth, Emma pretends to be the director of the production to strengthen her chances of getting the part. Emma acts as the judge in order to sabotage Elizabeth’s audition. The audience was shocked when the judge arrives shortly after Elizabeth has left, and Emma takes the floor to begin her audition.
The first two plays were humorous and light-hearted, whereas the third play, “National Smoke Signal Day,” provided a more powerful storyline. Mark, played by freshman theater major Issac Clayson, and Ellie, played by freshman undecided arts major Whitney Downard, talked on a beach overlooking New York City as the awkwardly adorable pair created their own theory for the smoke coming from the city on a warm Sept. 11.
The fourth play, “An Ongoing Examination of the True Meaning of Life,” was, without a doubt, the most comical and entertaining one act. It featured the playwright (Vail) as she attempted to create a play with the characters played by Keegan and Tori Lanzillo, a sophomore theater and journalism and mass communications major. The frequently indecisive playwright drew laughs from the audience by putting her actors through countless romantic scenarios. The roles were reversed toward the end when the characters decided to control the life of the playwright.
“Be What You Wish to Seem,” the fifth play, was an amusing take on how people in society become what they choose to be, whether it’s the color blue, or an old woman from Tibet. Tim, played by Clayson, portrayed a man who decided to leave his old life in order to be an old woman from Tibet. Each time the lights dimmed and the tribal music began to transport the audience to Tibet, the crowd laughed as Tim pondered his life choices.
The final scene of the play “The Winged Man,” was passionate and ended with Daysi, played by Lanzillo, succeeded in saving an endangered species of half-human, half-bird creatures. The drama ends with Daysi lifting the creature she nurtured and releasing him into the wild. Lanzillo shined as this character, ending the production and leaving the audience astounded.
Even though the six plays were completely different from each other, the audience laughed, cried and left the theater knowing a little more about life.
