Article by J.C. Maheu
When opinions and death collide questions begin to develop in unsuspecting minds. Adams State University Theatre presents What We Don’t Know March 8th through 12th at 7:30 p.m. Two one-act plays, directed by theatre students, Flowers for Algernon and The Intruder will show in the Adams State Xperimental Theatre.
Flowers for Algernon hits home for the theatre’s director Alexander Adams-Pachl: "I picked it for my sister, who faces constant daily struggle and love from the environment around her." It is the classic story of a man who tests his limits and watches what unfolds around him. As he befriends the second test subject, a mouse, he begins to question life and reality. Adams-Pachl said: "It is an eye opener for the treatment of people with disabilities and how they cope with stresses and anxieties."
"When a sickness enters a house, it’s as almost if a stranger has intruded upon the family," said the director of The Intruder, Rachel Byers. "The play is a mystery that keeps the audience thinking. It shows the duality of ideals and reality of one from another." In the play a blind grandfather senses a presence walk into the room. When he asks who has entered the room, family members tell him, "no one." He senses the presence of death. Byers said: "It pushes the thinking of societal views and how one perceives reality in one way and how others perceive it in another."
Both directors are excited for the challenge of bringing to life these stories of struggle and triumph, question and thought, life and death. Adams-Pachl and Byers believe their styles are heavily grounded in the "precision" and "constant dissection of not only the piece but each character." Byers enjoys "working with some fresh new faces to the stage." Adams-Pachl is enthused about "working with a devoted cast who are willing to dive into some deep places."
Both directors said after college they see themselves directing. "It has been a challenge collaborating, trying to coincide two pieces to fit together. But it has been such a great creative process," said Byers. Adams-Pachl agreed: "It has been a challenge directing some close personal material but the growth and development of these actors has been such a rush and a fantastic experience."
For more information or to reserve tickets call 719-587-8499.
