From Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., the SBU Theater program is performing the contemporary comedy “Dead Man’s Cell Phone.” Written by American playwright Sarah Ruhl, this comedy is directed by Dr. Ed Simone of the Quick Arts Center.
“This story is about Jean, who happens to answer the cellphone of a guy who has died. By doing that, all sorts of bizarre things start to happen. Her life is completely changed by getting involved with the people of this guy’s life,” said Simone.
The cast of the play, made up of eight students, hopes to wow the audience with eccentric and hilarious characters. Sarah Wright, a freshman Health Science major, plays the role of Jean.
“I play the leading role, Jean, a woman around the age of 40 who gets herself into a bit of a pickle when she discovers a dead man’s body at a café and decides to answer his ever-ringing cell phone. Throughout the play, she must help comfort his very odd family through their grieving, make up for his multitude of mistakes in life and even finds love,” said Wright.
Another cast member, M.K. Killen, a graduate student, is to perform one of the deceased man’s strange family members.
“I play Hermia, who is the widow of Gordon, the ‘dead man.’ She’s an interesting character because when we first see her she’s struggling with grief, but she’s very determined to maintain this very sophisticated, very Holly Golightly-esque presence. Later on, we see an entirely different woman, spurred by alcohol consumption,” said Killen.
The cast has been working on the production since January and have gone through many transitions.
“We have a really talented cast for this show and they’ve all put a lot of work into the performance you’re going to see,” Killen said. “Some of us quite literally busted our a**es–like I fell numerous times learning to roller skate for a scene that we cut, Sarah had to put foundation on her legs to cover bruises she sustained during fight call and Cam gave himself a goose egg hitting his head on a table for a slapstick comedy routine.”
But it’s not only the actors that make a production great. The technical crew is also hard at work to make this play all that it can be.
“The crew is fantastic–from Emman hiding behind the curtain to make our projections, to Lauren carving a 72 oz. steak and kidney out of foam,” said Killen.
This play and its off-color characters have made appearances all across the nation. The original production appeared in the Washington D.C. at the Wooly Mammoth Theater and won the Helen Hayes Award for Best New Play in 2008. It’s regarded highly in the New York times, as well as the San Francisco Gate which calls it “strangely touching.”
“Ruhl examines lots of interesting aspects, but really it’s just fun. It’s a very very funny play,” said Simone.
Moreover, Killen gives insights into what the truth of the play is, seeing how Ruhl is able to analyze serious problems while also giving a fantastic show.
“For me, the play is about the absurdity of grief and family dynamics and how we perceive people based on our interactions with them,” Killen said. “It’s also a biting commentary on our societal dependence on cell phones and how by ‘always being there,’ we’re actually less present. The plays starts with strange but almost believable circumstances, that quickly turn more and more irrational and comedic. I hope the audience enjoys the ride.”
By Anastasia Smith, Features Assignment Editor
smithan18@bonaventure.edu
