A Curtain Calls

Each year the theater department brings a new style of production to the forefront. “An Inspector
Calls,” a play chosen and directed by Carol Anderson and written by J. B. Priestly, is the next in
line for this semester.
The plot, set in the early 1900s, follows a well-off family who are celebrating their daughter’s
engagement when an inspector interrupts the party, asking questions about the mysterious
suicide of a young woman.
Anderson saw this play years ago as a favor to a friend. It was, in her mind, entertaining at first
glance. Anderson said that afterwards she came to realize that there was something deeper to
make the piece stand out.
“It made me think, do we really see ourselves as we really are? We like to think we do. But do
we? Then, what’s the ripple out of my choices?” Anderson said.
In a time of movies such as “Murder on the Orient Express,” “Knives Out,” and “Murder
Mystery,” a play such as this follows the recent trend in “who done it?” stories. Anderson
believes that its themes give it the strength to stand apart, that people will wonder if it had been
rewritten for what’s happening in the world today.
“You can watch it just as fun entertainment. Or there’s stuff that’s deeper in there, for those who
see,” Anderson said.
The crew is still working on improving the set and the cast is still rehearsing long hours to bring
the whole show together. Anderson feels that the cast is a wonderful ensemble, mixing freshmen
all the way to seniors, but the difference in experience isn’t slowing production down at all.
Anderson revealed she has been experimenting with the actors to really bring out what can make
this show a spectacle, from running it through more as a comedy, to doing a more physical action
version of the play where one talent actually ran through his monologue underneath the table.
New discoveries are made each time and with those, her confidence in her cast and crew grows.
“That has been the least of my worries, is the cast. I have the irony of having five comedic actors
in a play that is not a comedy. I’m excited about some of these actors that the audience are gonna
see in something very different than they’re usually known for,” Anderson said.
All of their hard work can be officially seen Nov. 14, 15, 21, and 22 at 7:30 p.m., as well as Nov.
16 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. You can buy tickets online or at the front door.