2008 Woodie Awards
'Man of La Mancha': idealism set to music
Jewel Anderson
Issue date: 3/30/07 Section: Features
- Page 1 of 2 next >
"The music is stunningly beautiful. The characters are deliciously fun, human and lovable. It's got some edgy stuff in it as well," said Jack Zerbe, director of the soon-to-be-performed "Man of La Mancha."
"It's about the power of the imagination to create change, to transform people into something more whole and to make the world a better place in spite of difficult circumstances," Zerbe said.
"Man of La Mancha" is about Don Miguel Cervantes, who wrote the famous novel "Don Quixote," and who was imprisoned during the Spanish Inquisition. The play transpires in a prison, where the character of Cervantes is incarcerated by inquisitors.
The prisoners impose a kangaroo court and try Cervantes as an inmate. They accuse him of being an idealist and a good man. In his defense, Cervantes puts on a play in the prison (a play within the play) and performs the role of Don Quixote, a knight who is resolute to right the world's wrongs.
"It's moving, funny, charming and thought-provoking," said Choral Director Wendy Looker. "It's not your typical actors-break-out-into-song-for-no-apparent-reason musical."
In fact, the author of "Man of La Mancha," Dale Wasserman, classified the production as a "play with music" rather than as a musical. For this reason, Looker and Zerbe agree that students who don't typically like musicals might still enjoy "Man of La Mancha."
"It's a serious piece of dramatic literature that also happens to have gloriously beautiful music. Because almost all of the music takes place in a play within the play, the music is part of a theatrical device," Zerbe said.
Jacob Martin, a junior who plays Cervantes and Quixote said, "I can relate to Don Quixote in that there are a lot of injustices in the world, and sometimes it's really infuriating, and a lot of times you don't know what to do about it. I really like what Don Quixote decides to do."
"I can relate to it in that I, too, am an idealist. I think the world can be a wonderful place and we should all struggle to make it so," Martin said.
"It's about the power of the imagination to create change, to transform people into something more whole and to make the world a better place in spite of difficult circumstances," Zerbe said.
"Man of La Mancha" is about Don Miguel Cervantes, who wrote the famous novel "Don Quixote," and who was imprisoned during the Spanish Inquisition. The play transpires in a prison, where the character of Cervantes is incarcerated by inquisitors.
The prisoners impose a kangaroo court and try Cervantes as an inmate. They accuse him of being an idealist and a good man. In his defense, Cervantes puts on a play in the prison (a play within the play) and performs the role of Don Quixote, a knight who is resolute to right the world's wrongs.
"It's moving, funny, charming and thought-provoking," said Choral Director Wendy Looker. "It's not your typical actors-break-out-into-song-for-no-apparent-reason musical."
In fact, the author of "Man of La Mancha," Dale Wasserman, classified the production as a "play with music" rather than as a musical. For this reason, Looker and Zerbe agree that students who don't typically like musicals might still enjoy "Man of La Mancha."
"It's a serious piece of dramatic literature that also happens to have gloriously beautiful music. Because almost all of the music takes place in a play within the play, the music is part of a theatrical device," Zerbe said.
Jacob Martin, a junior who plays Cervantes and Quixote said, "I can relate to Don Quixote in that there are a lot of injustices in the world, and sometimes it's really infuriating, and a lot of times you don't know what to do about it. I really like what Don Quixote decides to do."
"I can relate to it in that I, too, am an idealist. I think the world can be a wonderful place and we should all struggle to make it so," Martin said.
Be the first to comment on this story