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Printer-Friendly ModeTheatre abuzz with ‘Bees’
February 22, 2010 —
City life, bright lights, a hunger for fame and New York City at its finest.
In the upcoming production of the play, As Bees in Honey Drown, SVSU will get a bite of the Big Apple.
As Bees in Honey Drown tells the tale of what people will do for the glory of success and where they will draw the line to stop the madness.
The dark comedy takes place in present-day Manhattan. Theater senior Chad Baker plays Evan Wyler, a hip New York writer who will do whatever it takes to be successful. He falls for the flashy Alexa Vere De Vere, played by theatre senior Danielle Schoeny, who tries to change him into something he is not.
Alexa tricks Evan into buying things for her and then ditches him, leaving him with tab as well as life lessons to learn while she continues in her own self-proclaimed life of fame.
Baker says As Bees in Honey Drown,/i> may be something new for the SVSU audience.
“There are a lot of surprises in store for the audience,” Baker said. “Overall, the play has a really great message about finding yourself and being comfortable with who you are, and the journey to get to that message is going to be very cool and exciting.”
As Bees in Honey Drown is the first show directed here by David Rzeszutek, the newest addition to the theater faculty.
Rzeszutek previously taught at Buffalo State College in Buffalo, New York. Rzeszutek’s enthusiasm about the play is contagious.
“It has been an exciting ride and everyone is excited about the process of creating the play, not just the end result,” he said.
“My hope is that the play will be fast-paced, hip, and sleek; what I would imagine the campus audience would like to see.”
The cast is comprised of six actors who each hold multiple roles in the play. In addition to Baker and Schoeny, the cast is filled out by senior Christian Schwager, junior Amanda Mueller, freshman Caitlyn Walsh and senior Caleb Knutson.
Schoeny said that pre-production has been promising, problem-free and enlivened by Rzeszutek’s fresh take.
“The rehearsal process has been going positively wonderfully,” Schoeny said. “Because of all of Rzeszutek’s new valuable directing techniques, this show is going to be unlike anything we have ever done here at SVSU.
“It has brought the cast to a whole new level. Viewers can expect to escape from their current lives and live in a world that is new, hot, fun and rich.”
The original script to As Bees in Honey Drown included references to many terms, art pieces, and famous people that the cast was not familiar with. The use of a dramaturg, or person who researches and explains these concepts to enrich the play, was put to use.
Assistant director and theater junior Bear McBride found the dramaturg very helpful.
“This is the first production I have worked on that the dramaturg has been such big help,” McBride said. “It has been great to deepen our understanding of all of the terms and it really helped the characters fully understand their roles.”
The show will be enhanced by the use of multimedia. Rzeszutek’s directing style is expected to bring a twist to the SVSU stage.
“Rzeszutek has a vision for this show that is very different from the other faculty directors,” Baker said. “Right from the beginning, we have been discussing the show and really digging deep into who these characters are. He is always there to lend a suggestion, but very much wants you to figure things out for yourself. He made rehearsal really exciting and interesting because every single day we all discovered something new about ourselves and the show.”
As Bees in Honey Drown will be performed in the Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26-27 and March 5-6; and at 3 p.m., Sunday Feb. 28 and March 7. Tickets are $7 for students and $10 for general admission. The play features adult language and themes and is for mature audiences only.