Kick off Spooky Season by Encountering the Life of One Close to Death
On October 27, Gonzaga University Theatre will open An Apology for the Course and Outcome of Certain Events Delivered by Dr. John Faustus on This His Final Evening, by playwright Mickle Maher.
Professor Blake Anthony Edwards, Gonzaga theatre lecturer, will star as Doctor John Faustus as he apologizes to the audience for leaving the writing of his life to "long-winded hacks" and explains how Mephistopheles prevented him from recording his own story for posterity. The show gives a darkly funny and introspective look into the life of Doctor Faustus and the thoughts running through his mind during his final hour.
Gonzaga Theatre is proud to feature our students as actors in our ensemble-driven productions, so it is not often that a one-man show is offered or performed by faculty. Edwards is a professional actor, playwright, director and educator who performed in Los Angeles for over a decade. This show will offer an exciting opportunity for students to see and learn from a faculty member working directly in his professional capacity rather than purely instructing.
“All of our staff and faculty within the department are either professional directors or designers, and as such, our work is seen quite a bit because we provide directing and design as a form of teaching,” said theatre program chair Leslie Stamoolis. “Having a professional actor on our full-time faculty is new for us. This is Blake's second year with the department, and we are excited to feature his skills as an actor in this one-man show. Performing arts students rarely get to see their professors in action, but having the opportunity to see one working professionally is instructive and exciting to watch.”
“Much of Mickle Maher’s work is tragically funny or hysterically tragic, and this one is no different,” said Edwards.
Though billed as a one-man show, the script actually calls for a second person to play the non-speaking role of Mephistopheles. Edwards invited Miklav Davis, Gonzaga senior theatre arts major, to join him in this role, adding, “In essence, the play is a scene masquerading as a one-man show, because the presence of Mephistopheles adds a lot to the experience. Faustus describes Mephistopheles’ blank stare as ‘a face like the bottom of an infinitely shallow well.’ As a performer, playing off that blank stare, which must have intention behind it, is infuriating for the character of Faustus – and hilarious for the audience.”
Details
When: Performances are Friday, Oct. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 pm.
Where: The show will be at the Magnuson Theatre at the East Entrance of College Hall (502 E Boone Ave.).
Tickets: $10 and can be purchased at https://bit.ly/TicketCenterTheatre or through visiting the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center Box Office (211 E DeSmet Ave.), Monday-Friday noon-5 p.m. or by calling 509-313-2787. Tickets will be sold at the door, however, are not guaranteed if the performance sells out.