Ghoulish visuals embolden Doctor Faustus

The Balch Arena Theatre turned into a haunted house as the Drama Department's fall production opened Thursday night. Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, directed by Downing Cless, aptly captured the spirit of Halloween as Oct. 31 nears.

Although the actors were not part of Marilyn Manson's stage crew, black lipstick, nails and eyes, mohawks, leather pants, and spiked collars typified their gothic dress code. The production's designers opted for a Matrix-gone-nightclub theme, encompassing both the play's German Renaissance roots and modern, Western culture ideology.

Cless' choices as director had the actors tell the story of Doctor Faustus realistically, heightening the discomfort of seeing a man's journey into Hell as he prepares to sell his soul in exchange for infinite knowledge and power.

These choices were marked, however, by unavoidable sexual undertones. The "good" and "bad" angels both seemed very naughty as they moved like caged dancers in the backdrop's yellow eyes.

"The intentions were to make the play seem like a Las Vegas nightclub," says Stefanie Schussel, one of the play's assistant directors.

The character of Chorus/Wagner wore a scandalous corset and head mike, Lucifer and his devils adopted pimp positions, and Marilyn Manson-like devils were the nightclub bouncers. The idea was to mimic Hell on earth, which is "...seedier and more into excess," according to Schussel. "Where does it fit if on a scale of excess? The grapes are too lecherous." Even the character of Helen of Troy is a little too naked, making the audience feel that much more uncomfortable.

The horrors of hell were set upon the red wood polished floor, representing a tongue of a devilish animal ready to swallow its actors up. The intent was to make clear the idea of an ever-present Hell -- the gaping mouth as a striking image. In late medieval theater it was a common theatrical practice in morality plays was to represent an opening between heaven and hell on earth. Smoke, punk music, strobe lights, and eerie sound effects poured from the cavernous mouth, enhancing the show's dynamism.

Lucifer, played by senior Christopher Tadros, was as scary as one would imagined. Ghoulish sound effects intensified his voice, making his calculated, articulated words that much more frightening.

The role of Doctor Faustus seemed to be made for senior Graham Outerbridge, who chillingly brought the character to life. While senior Lisa Birnbaum, in her leather pants, pointy cape, and dark menacing voice was a very credible Mephistopheles, servant of Hell's ruler.

The audience could not have been more awestruck by the incredible talent of the players. "The acting was amazing -- I was truly flabbergasted," junior Dennis Doyle said.

The seven deadly sins, presented to Faustus by the devils, Benjamin Hilb and Lily Ladewig, were innovative and hilarious signs of ugly human heads. "Personally, I was most concerned with putting all these elements together and having a show that was entertaining -- because it's a difficult show to begin with," Schussel said. "So, will the audience get it- will it be funny?"

The answer was, yes. "Pride" was an ugly face looking into a mirror, "covetousness" was presented as a gold card, "wrath" as an angered reddened face with a gun, "envy" as a green face, "gluttony" as a huge, foaming mouth with a milkshake and hamburger, "sloth" was shown as the Devil speaking very slowly with a remote control in his hand, and "lechery" as a hideous woman foaming at the mouth. The humor was not subtle, and neither was the audience's mirth.

Faustus' last moments were spent in an intense soliloquy, highlighting the dichotomy between heaven and hell and convincing the audience that he really had sold his soul to the Devil. In the end, Faustus succumbs to Hell, surrounded by a disco ball of stars and nightclub of misery - a perfect conclusion to a performance marked by the severity of both its content and its visual effects.