University of Connecticut student-led production company Jump the Creek Productions recently revealed two new plays: “I Am Going to the Lordy” and “I Am the Seagull.” Opening on Feb. 28 at the Nafe Katter Theatre, the two plays were created and performed by UConn students.
“I Am Going to the Lordy” is a play written and directed by Evan Wolfgang, an eighth-semester student studying acting and a fellow of the UConn Humanities Institute. The play looks at the life of Charles Guiteau, the man who assassinated President James Garfield, through the eyes of his sister Frances.
“I Am the Seagull” is a play directed by eighth-semester student Aurora Courcy and adapted from Anton Chekhov’s play “The Seagull” by eighth-semester student Kat Corrigan. While also utilizing human actors, the play uses puppets as characters to tell the story of young lovers Nina and Treplev. Treplev drives Nina away and she falls in love with a man who does not value her, resulting in the despair of both characters.
Although both plays are separate works, there is a significant overlap of actors and stage crew between the two. The plays come from Jump the Creek Productions, founded by Wolfgang and Corrigan. They both ran from Feb. 28 to Mar. 2.
“I Am Going to the Lordy” begins with Corrigan as Frances Guiteau. She immediately tells the audience a story that they’ve likely heard before; James Garfield was killed, and the man responsible for it was executed. The play that follows jumps between the lives of Garfield (played by Bryan Anderson) and Charles (Will Naraghi), depicting Garfield’s slow rise to presidency and Charles’ descent into madness.
Wolfgang provides supporting roles as Charles’ father Luther Guiteau and Garfield’s secretary of state, James Gillespie Blaine. UConn student Evelyn Whtiney plays a few different roles, but is most prominent as Charles’s ex-wife, Annie Bunn. Siommara Guadalupe-Hill, another UConn student, is Garfield’s wife, Lucretia.
Although the play focuses greatly on Charles’s development, Frances Guiteau still delivers some of the most gut-punching monologues in the play. While she does interact with other characters, Frances often has moments to herself, in which she breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the audience. Most of the characters have a costume change of sometime, but Frances is always in a black dress as her brother’s only mourner.
Naraghi’s depiction of Charles Guiteau is also incredible. As the villain of the story, Naraghi plays Charles as naive, insane, bloodthirsty, childlike and anything else the character needs to be in the moment.
Despite not being a core figure of the story, Guadalupe-Hill shines as Lucretia Garfield. Wolfgang’s take on Garfield and Lucretia’s relationship is one without deep romantic love, but the pair still rely on each other for support. Despite their differences, Lucretia stays by Garfield’s side as the president dies, and Guadalupe-Hill delivers a masterful performance.
“I Am the Seagull” is a play up to much greater interpretation than “I Am Going to the Lordy.” Nina (Corrigan) and Treplev (Wolfgang) are young lovers with a passion for art, as Nina is an actress and Treplev is a writer. The pair spend their time on the estate of the elderly Sorin (Anderson), Treplev’s uncle.
Treplev’s mother, Arkadina (Guadalupe-Hill), and her lover, Trigorin (Wolfgang), also spend their time at the estate. Arkadina is a famous actress and Trigorin a famous writer, and Nina falls for Trigorin, to the dismay of Treplev. The rest of the cast includes the wise doctor, Dorn (Chastity LaFrancois), the groundskeeper, Shamrayev (Alfie Free), his wife, Paulina (Lily Rose Mindenhall), his daughter, Masha (Sadie Aiken) and the schoolmaster, Medvedenko (Naraghi).
“I Am the Seagull” is unique in its use of puppetry. Treplev, Nina, Trigorin and Arkadina are the only characters portrayed entirely by humans — the rest are puppets made in various styles. This choice immediately singles out the four characters as the main forces of the play, while the usage of puppets adds an inherent comedy to the story. The production also uses shadow puppetry to enhance the setting and drama of certain scenes.
Although the play’s story is ultimately a dark and depressing one, it still leaves room for comedy and excitement, while knowing when to back off the laughs. The complicated themes and dynamics of the play can be a bit tricky to follow at times, but it remains an enjoyable and captivating piece of art.