Students perform in Pinocchio production

Cady Stribling
Features Editor
cstribling1@murraystate.edu

These two Murray State students would be lying if they said they didn’t enjoy performing in the production of “The Commedia Pinocchio” this past weekend with the Playhouse in the Park.

“The Commedia Pinocchio” is an adapted story of Pinocchio performed in commedia dell’arte, a unique style of theater from Renaissance Italy where masked characters typically play exaggerated stock characters. In other words, it is a show within a show.

Tessa Northcutt, junior secondary English education major and theater minor, played the commedia dell’arte character Harlequin who plays the cricket, fox and policeman. Senior advertising major Matthew Anderson’s commedia dell’arte character was Pantalone, who plays the Puppet Master and Maestro Cherry.

Northcutt said they only had about four weeks to put the show together. Because of the quick turnaround, Northcutt said they didn’t audition but she and Anderson were contacted by the directors of Playhouse in the Park who asked if they would do the production.

Tessa Northcutt played Harlequin in the performance. (Photo courtesy of Tessa Northcutt)

During the four weeks, they prepared their roles, built and painted the set, gathered props and costumes and choreographed their movements. Northcutt said the script was shorter because of the commedia style, which includes a lot of nonverbal and physical acting.

“I was really excited to be a part of this show because it’s such a fun, silly play, and I really wanted to support the Playhouse,” Northcutt said. “The pandemic has made it very difficult to keep the doors open, so now that we are able to perform again, I wanted to be a part of it.”

Northcutt described her character Harlequin as a mischievous troublemaker who has a clownish, childlike personality. Although she didn’t choose her character, Northcutt said she was excited for the role because she can be creative with Harlequin’s wild unpredictability.

Anderson, who has acted for the last seven years and has been casted as an extra in many films shot in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, said this show meant a lot to him.

“As a senior at Murray State, I decided to make one more lasting memory on the stage,” Anderson said. “Theater is something I hold dear to my heart.”

Pantalone, Anderson’s commedia dell’arte character, is a stingy individual whose only concerns are money and gifts. Anderson said he also really enjoyed playing the Puppet Master and Maestro Cherry since they all have very different personalities with the Puppet Master being eerie while Maestro Cherry is joyful and happy.

“For a show like this to work, we needed talented individuals who were able to take risks and be proficient with multiple roles,” Anderson said. “Luckily, we have a well-rounded cast filled with talent and the right, positive attitude.”

(Photo courtesy of Tessa Northcutt)

Since the cast was made up of only five people, it was easy for them to block away from each other. They only sold 50 tickets per show so audience members could socially distance and remain 20 feet from the cast. Anderson said during each rehearsal the cast wore masks and socially distanced as much as possible, and only limited seating was offered for the performances.

Many cast members brought in props, and a costume designer pulled the costumes together from the Playhouse warehouse and altered them to fit the show, Northcutt said. The puppets and more creative props were made by the director Jonathan Carter.

Northcutt said the show went really well and she heard lots of giggling from the little ones in the audience. Because of the nature of the show, Northcutt said they often took opportunities to do a little improvisation.

“It was so much fun to have the freedom to take opportunities to cause a little havoc when I saw them open up,” Northcutt said. “That’s what is so amazing about live theater. Any mishaps or costume malfunctions, dropped lines or missing props were worked into the show. We were playing the role of amateur actors, so if a costume change took longer than expected, we made a big show of it and made it a comedic bit.”

Northcutt said she was glad for the opportunity to act again with a wonderful cast and crew after theaters had been shut down for so long.

She had never done a show so quickly before, but Northcutt said everyone came into rehearsals prepared and focused.

(Photo courtesy of Tessa Northcutt)

“I loved the show in general because it was so comedic and fun, but the people I was working alongside made it a great experience,” Northcutt said. “They are all so talented and so much fun to work with.”

Anderson said the audience was very energetic with laughter and smiles. Since the show style they performed is rare, Anderson was excited to perform, especially with his fellow cast members.

Playing multiple characters was even more exciting in front of an audience, Anderson said. Like Northcutt, his favorite part was when they broke from character during the improvisational moments.

“For example, on the Saturday evening performance, my money bag was ‘stolen’ and I chased a cast member across the stage,” Anderson said. “This was not in the script at all. It was fun to mess around with the characters, have those improvisational moments and still put on a good performance.”

Anderson said the most memorable part of the performance for him was building relationships with his cast members who all performed superbly and are genuine individuals. The production was also the joy and smile that everyone needed right now, Anderson said.

“As for our direction and crew, I could not have asked for better leaders,” Anderson said. “Playhouse in the Park has a plethora of individuals who are passionate about theater arts and put their best foot forward. If you have even considered participating in theater arts, I would contact Playhouse in the Park.”

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