Woyzcek, an interpretive play by Georg Büchner, will be coming to the Houghton Academy beginning February 8. The cast consists of about ten Houghton students and two students from Grove City College who have previously worked with the director. Audiences should expect an engaging play with modern themes that will frequently veer into the avant-garde.
Important to Woyzeck’s development, and to its reputation as a play that inspires experimentation, is that Büchner never lived to finish writing it. After dying tragically in the 1830s at the age of 23, the drafts to Woyzeck were left undisturbed until the late 19th century. Productions didn’t start until the 20th century, and the unfinished play still remains open to interpretation. Since its discovery, it has been performed numerous times and is considered part of the modern canon.
Now it’s here at Houghton, interpreted by Ryan Stevenson, a Cleveland native who specializes in Shakespeare and film. Influenced by film heavyweights such as David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick, Stevenson finds Woyzeck, a fairly experimental and adaptable production, to be a pragmatic choice for Houghton’s fledgling theater program.
“I had a short time here, so I needed something realistic and naturalistic,” said Stevenson. He liked the small core cast and the episodic nature of the production, which makes it easy to rehearse with the cast and crew’s jam-packed schedules. Stevenson had a deeply inspired vision for the production and was incredibly excited to see what it could produce at Houghton.
The production provides opportunities for students to learn more about theater and to participate in an experimental performance. While preparation is exciting, and proceeding well so far, the production has not been without its difficulties. Shannan Johnson ‘21, an aspiring director herself, is assistant director for Woyzeck. “We have had setbacks, but today is productive,” she commented. While they still need new members still, Johnson commented that this has been “an insightful journey and I’ve learned that great theater does not come from scratch.”
It was clear from watching him work that Stevenson is all in, and that everyone, whether a part of the cast or production team, was a crucial component of Stevenson’s vision. With photographer Eli French working on the production portfolio and a friend of Stevenson videotaping rehearsals as part of the final product, this play experimented with an entirely new style of theater that audiences rarely have an opportunity to experience.
The cast was excited about the play and grateful for the chance to work in an incredibly relaxed environment. Stevenson was not the sort of director who barks orders from a theater seat but who worked from the stage, nurturing a dedicated cast who shared his passionate vision of a “dramatic piece and immersive arts experience.” Cast members’ thoughts on their production mimicked his enthusiasm for its engaging qualities. Claire Brower ‘18 described the play as “experimental, immersive, and surreal.” Emma Bruce ‘20 felt that the final product will be “cool and immersive.”
Performances of Woyzeck start this coming Thursday, January 8. and should run roughly 2-3 hours. The cast and crew look forward to support from their peers in this year’s exciting theatrical experiment.