Syracuse University Department of Drama to Present MELANCHOLY: A CHAMBER MUSICAL

Who says sadness isn't fun? Certainly not award-winning playwright Sarah Ruhl. The Syracuse University Department of Drama closes its 2022/2023 season with Ruhl's "Melancholy Play: A Chamber Musical," directed by Daniella Caggiano, April 28 through May 7. Performances will be held in the Storch Theater at the Syracuse Stage / SU Drama Complex, 820 East Genesee St. Tickets are available through the Syracuse Stage Box Office at www.syracusestage.org/drama or by phone at 315.443.3275.

In the absurd, sensual and heartfelt play, Ruhl endows melancholy with aphrodisiac power in the person of Tilly, a bank teller whose lingering sadness attracts everyone around her. So acute is the attraction that when Tilly suddenly finds happiness, she throws the others into despair. With characteristic whimsy and nuanced seriousness, Ruhl considers the many different ways to find joy and how sadness is a necessary component of happiness.

The play's lyrical nature and musicality underscore the depth of feeling and the ways those feelings can create ripples - "Melancholy is looking out of an Open Window full of longing. Depressed is behind a thick pane of glass," wrote Ruhl.

Director Caggiano explores the tensions between the play's absurdity and serious undertones. This version of the piece is set in 2002, a time when mental health was a subversive subject, doomed to be tucked under beds and shut behind closed doors.

"Our show emphasizes how important community is, to have a community that cares, for a space to have community with other people," said Caggiano. This atmosphere of community permeates the rehearsal room which emphasizes equal collaboration and fun. "It's called a play, if we're not having fun, what are we doing."

"Melancholy Play: A Chamber Musical"

By Sarah Ruhl and Todd Almond

Directed by Daniella Caggiano

Music directed by Jacob Carll

Scenic design by Eli Golding

Costume design by Marshall Hayes Breaux

Lighting design by Andrew Patashnik

Sound design by Jacqueline R. Herter

Movement direction by Andrea Leigh-Smith

Fight and intimacy direction by Hannah Roccisano

Voice / dialect coaching by Celia Madeoy

Dramaturgy by Alexis Wilner

Stage manager: Annabelle Lamb

Cast

Samantha Harnick Tilly

Kevin Ilardi Frank

Dani Saril Frances

Eleni Stavros Joan

Franco Tomaino Lorenzo

Performances

Friday, April 28, 8 p.m. (Preview)

Saturday, April 29, 8 p.m. (Opening)

Sunday, April 30, 2 p.m.

Wednesday, May 3, 8 p.m.

Thursday, May 4, 8 p.m.

Friday, May 5, 8 p.m.

Saturday, May 6, 2 p.m. (Open Captioned)

Saturday, May 6, 8 p.m.

Sunday, May 7, 2 p.m. (ASL interpreted)

Additional Credits

Assistant Director: Kate Grover

Assistant Scenic Designer: Miranda Barrick

Assistant Costume Designer: Lillian Benge

Assistant Lighting Designer: Brooklyn Green

Assistant Sound Designer: Jay Korter

Assistant Stage Managers: Xiangyi (Annie) Meng, Lubeini Yang

Casting Associate: Carrie DeGraw

Technical Director: Randy Steffen

Assistant Technical Director: Rebecca Schuetz

Student Technical Director: Yuchao Zong

Movement Captain: Mackenzie Furlett

DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA

The Syracuse University Department of Drama offers conservatory-style training in a university setting shared with a resident, professional theater (Syracuse Stage), presenting an unparalleled combination of teaching professionals and diverse performance and production opportunities. SU Drama offers four conservatory-style bachelor of fine arts (B.F.A.) degree programs in acting, musical theater, stage management, and theater design and technology, as well as a bachelor of science (B.S.) degree program in drama that features a Theater Management track. Undergraduates put classroom theory into practice through productions and various special opportunities, including Wednesday Lab, study abroad, the NYC-based Tepper Semester, the Sorkin in L.A. Learning Practicum, numerous community engagement initiatives and the opportunity to participate in workshops or discussions with such visiting artists as Taye Diggs '93, Aaron Sorkin '83, Vanessa Williams '85, Frank Langella '59, David Henry Hwang, Tim Miller, Tony Kushner and more.

Syracuse University COLLEGE OF VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

The Syracuse University Department of Drama is housed within the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA). VPA is committed to the education of cultural leaders who will engage and inspire audiences through performance, visual art, design, scholarship and commentary. It provides the tools for self-discovery and risk-taking in an environment that thrives on critical thought and action.

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