NeoFaustus

WMU does Faust in 3-D!!!
Kit Marlowe, because of his bar room associations with my boy, has always been a playwright I have enjoyed reading. I first read his play Faust in Dr. Ray's class at UoM-F. I didn't remember it being sooo smutty. But Dr Ray was a tiny little bowtie wearing guy and I'm not surprised he focused our undergrad asses on the more alchemic and socio/political aspects of the play then the "hiding" of one's goblet in one's trousers aspects.

So for multiple reasons-- last night we drove over to Kzoo and had a lovely dinner with Kate and Victoria, Cat and Kassia and Kelly and Ingrid (oh there were boys there too but they didn't seem to want to gossip about wedding dresses or oogle Victoria's beeeutiful engagement ring) then we split for the play.

Holy shit! What a wonderful production!

It was brilliant!! Kate was so excited about the grant the Western Mich. University theatre dept. received that enabled the stop motion photography. Remember the behind the scenes DVD stuff of LoTR and Gollum? They had that shit going down live!(Thus the 3-d glasses) SOO freaking cool--all the computer geeks were *very* impressed. The massive backdrop which was the "monitor" for some often very impressive animation that was performed by puppeteer Shannon McPhee. Ghosts and good/bad angels, swirling icons and scary montages. SWEET! Totally accessible for the kidlets...Zoli was in fact literally on the edge of his seat.

Faustus was played by a talented senior named Seth Miller who did the mad scientist thing brilliantly. But folks, really the reason we were there (and dragged the kids along) our darling boy Dave Emmert was performing the role of Mephistophilis. Kate's costuming students had decided on a very cool Matrix-esque cotehardie, Black with buttons (yeah I was happy) and he had some sweet evil red glowy glasses and his hair all corn rowed into an evil V. The costume rocked in a very modernistic interpretation. when I had first heard they were going to add some "hip flav" to this classic text, I admit, I was unnecessarily nervous. Happily there was consistent and exquisite delivery...I am so glad they didn't fuck with the text. No corny slang interpretations or bastardization of the original text. I am a purist. I was pleased. One area that did improve mightily on the original was the music.

The soundtrack was awesome--Tom Waits,Van Halen (Running w/ the Devil!!! duh!) Bowie and NiN--totally rocking which allowed the chorus to writhe around in hot goth club garb being all "devilish" and college kid hard bods. Kate shared an anecdote of asking what piercings and ink the kids already had that they could complement and build off of. I want the alchemic symbol for copper tattooed on my arm!

The clowns were hilarious and the perfect counterpoint to the mind boggling philosophy with which Faust struggles. But Emmert stole the show. His casual chain smoking and acerbic comments as he skulked around the edges of Faust's fame and success we so perfectly on. A hitman in the shadows. Faust is partying w/kings and dead generals--but Mephistophilis just bides his time--hitting a flask or exhaling cigarette smoke at the perfect moment.

When we got to congratulate David afterward he said and I quote "It was nice to get to be a bad ass." and dude he did it sooo well. I know the few of you who know Emmert see him as our teddy bear kinda guy, all clowny hugs and sweet smiles..but he pulled this role off absolutely perfectly. Disdainful, hip, detached and elegant. Dark and evil gliding like the fallen angel he needed to be.

Well Done David. well done. I am so proud.