Virginia Woolf's ORLANDO Comes To Villanova Theatre

Villanova Theatre is proud to present Orlando directed by Whiting and Barrymore Award winner James Ijames. Orlando runs Sept 24-Oct 6. i??

Audiences will join the spirited, freethinking nobleman, Orlando on "an epic adventure that transcends time, place and gender" (New York Times). After awakening from a seven-day slumber, Orlando finds himself transformed into a woman and must navigate society, artistry and desire from an entirely new perspective. This fantastical, gender-bending, period-hopping parable explores what it means to live in our own skin and in our own time.

Sarah Ruhl's fantastical adaptation transforms Woolf's already captivating novel into an entertaining, poetic and ensemble-driven night at the theatre. Using Woolf's 1928 novel as inspiration for a modern look at identity, gender and desire, Ruhl explores the multitude of possibilities contained within every human being. This timely, textured play examines the ways in which gender and identity have been rediscovered, challenged and transformed over the last decade. As Orlando experiences a complex range of emotions, experiences, obstacles, and discoveries, so too will audience members as they take in a tale that sends home the universality of the human experience.

Director James Ijames leads a cast of eight Villanova graduate students, including six chorus members, who each take on several roles in this heavily devised approach. Inspired by Ruhl's use of the chorus as the motor which propels Orlando through time, Ijames says he is "looking forward to creating a sense of community and ensemble amongst the tight-knit cast," adding that "Ruhl's concept of actors performing as their perceived gender and otherwise once again underscores the multiplicities that lie within all humans." The challenge of cycling through so many different roles has been met with bravery and commitment by both Ijames and his cast.

In preparation for the rehearsal process, Dramaturg Ilia Campbell has explored how Woolf's personal life influenced the original novel. Woolf's affair with a woman named Vita Sackville-West served as the inspiration for the character of Orlando. Sackville-West was described by contemporaries as androgynous (of indeterminate sex), and Woolf originally subtitled her novel A Biography. While fictional, this "biography" closely explored the varying identities of Woolf's lover and has been described as the "most charming love letter in literature."

Ijames articulates the larger concept for Villanova Theatre's production thus: "A group of actors come into the space, find this story, and take on the roles of Virginia Woolf's characters in Orlando." In order to convey the sense of an abandoned theatre, Set Designer Parris Bradley has created an open playing area while still giving access to old furniture, strewn-about set pieces and an assortment of objects one might find in a theatre, like a costume rack or a ghost light. The fast-paced, time-traveling aspects of Ruhl's play are emphasized by Bradley's stage, which resembles an hourglass, capturing the importance of time in this world.

Props Designer Sharri Jerue helped create a world where sheets of paper are banquet tables and antique trunks become Russian ships. The use of these "found objects," combined with Ijames's and the ensemble's collaborative sense of invention, allows for delightful theatrical discoveries. Costume Designer Janus Stefanowicz takes Ijames's idea of a found space even further by incorporating evocative, interchangeable costume pieces that chorus members can quickly attach and remove, often right before our very eyes. In order to reflect the centuries that pass, Stefanowicz uses her masterful knowledge of period silhouettes to reflect the fashion of any suggested era with a quick glance.

The multi-talented cast includes Sarah Stryker as Orlando, Angela Longo as Sasha, and Tina Lynch, Kale Thompson, Amy Abrigo, Jay V. Kimberley, Sharese Salters, and Effie Kammer portraying dozens of additional characters throughout the course of the play. Orlando runs at Villanova Theatre in Vasey Hall from September 24-Oct 6, 2019. Speaker's Night, immediately following the performance on Thursday, October 3, will feature a Q&A session with Dr. Bess Rowen (see full biographical information below).

Vasey Hall is located on Villanova's main campus at the intersection of Lancaster & Ithan Avenues. Performances will be held Tuesdays - Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. Tickets run $21-$25, with discounts available for seniors, students, MA in Theatre alumni and groups. Tickets may be purchased at the Villanova Theatre Box Office (M-S, 12-5 pm) in person, by phone: (610) 519-7474, or online at www.villanovatheatre.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.