Touch Rugby lesson
and game at3 p.m.
today on Taylor Lawn
Oct. 4, 2013
They're coming to see the killer...
By Kyle Jackola
staff Writer
A homicidal elephant, a dark muddy
town, and a circus show with blood
on their hands; the Brevard College theatre
department brings all this and more to center
stage in their production of George Brant’s
Elephant’s Graveyard.
College students, local residents, and out-
of-town visitors all gathered in the Morrison
Playhouse on Thursday night to see the story
of the fateful day Charlie Sparks’ circus came
to Erwin, Tennessee.
Sparks, played by Addison Dent, is the
ringmaster and one of many narrators in the
show.
The play is told entirely in the past tense,
each character giving brief monologues that
slowly reveal the narrative one grizzly detail
at a time. At times the pace of the monologues
seem almost on the verge of frenzy as each
character abruptly picked up where the last
one left off, but what else would you expect
from a circus?
Other circus members and townsfolk also
weigh in on the story, and the perspectives
from each individual leave out bits and
pieces to be filled in by others as the play
progresses.
What many audience members may find
unique about this play isn’t necessarily the
plot or mode of story telling, but rather that
a large portion of the cast are portraying live
performers.
The element of “performing like a
performer” gives the show an almost over
rehearsed feeling that makes the real actors
seem like they’re working too hard to be
convincing.
Audiences of plays aren’t normally
bombarded with the notion that the play is
a show in and of itself, and yet Elephant’s
Graveyard goes above and beyond in its
efforts of presentationalism to remind the
audience over and over that the characters
the actors are portraying are also performers
themselves.
The antithesis of the overbearing
performance-driven circus is found in the
naturalistic townsfolk of Erwin. All the
townspeople seem in many ways more real
that the circus people, and with that sense of
realism a tinge of darkness lingers as well.
But, is Elephant’s Graveyard really such
a dark play? At a cursory glance, perhaps,
but director Brandon Smith has a different
opinion.
“It’s easy to see the filth and the darkness
in this play,” says Smith in his director’s
notes. “Mary was a captivating creature, a
symbol of something miraculous. Her death
was horrific, but because of the event we are
left with “a dream, a legend that can go on”
and ultimately make change for the common
good of all creatures great and small.”
Smith furthers his point with a quote from
author Chuck Palahnuik. “If you can change
the way people think.. .you can change the
way people live their lives. That’s the only
lasting thing you can create.”
For the town, the circus is a dichotomy
of expectation and anticipation contrasted
against fear of an unknown and unpredictable
world. The incidents leading to the climax
challenges the normalcy of the townspeople’s
lives, and they in turn react in a violent and
animalistic way that leaves the audience to
wonder if all humans are capable of such
deplorable actions, even if groimded in honest
and moralistic intentions?
Acting and directing aside, set design and
costuming also contribute largely to the play’s
presentational style. Scenic and lighting
designer Andrea Bocanfusso brings the world
of the circus and the town to life
with her own artistic stylings.
Dirt, hay, and other natural
elements are brought inside in
order to bring the audience to
the town, and at one point a
big top is raised in the theatre
as a performing arena for the
circus.
Lighting, too, plays a key
role in developing the story as
spots flash between characters
during monologues and colors
change alongside the changing
feelings of the townsfolk and
circus members.
Costume designer Ida Bostian
shows us again that she is
capable of bringing characters
to life with specific costuming choices and
designs for the production. Costuming is
an integral part of any circus, and Bostian’s
designs bring a unique, yet nostalgic feel to
the show.
Reactions to the opening were positive
all around. Brevard’s president Dr. David
Joyce and wife Lynn sat in the front row and
were blown away by the presentation and
professionalism of everyone involved in the
play. “The performance was outstanding and
the subject matter challenging,” said Mrs.
Joyce. “It really is applicable to everything
in life.”
A large number of students who attended
also had positive things to say about the
performance. “I’d say it’s one of my top three
favorite shows I’ve seen at Brevard College,”
said senior Audrey Hamilton. Hamilton and
others came out not just to be entertained, but
also to support friends and celebrate their hard
work on the production.
Elephant’s Graveyard plays through the
weekend with evening performances at 7
p.m. on Friday and Saturday and a Sunday
matinee at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 each and
can be purchased in town at Southern Comfort
Records on W. Main Street, online at Etix.
com, or at the box office 30 minutes before
the start of the show. Don’t miss your chance
to see what’s sure to be a memorable show at
Brevard College. After all, it isn’t everyday
the circus is in town.
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Andrew Gunnin as the clown.