Staff Writer- Amelia Dewberry
Muse: A Devised Work Rooted in Nature is set to perform next weekend, Oct. 11th and 12th at 6 p.m. Muse is one of Gustavus’ most unconventional shows yet: it’s a walking play in the Arboretum, written entirely by the cast over the past five weeks.
In collaboration with guest theatre company TigerLion Arts, the sixteen-member ensemble has been cleverly crafting the entire production.
“Altogether, our team has written, storylined, developed characters, choreographed, arranged music, and brainstormed the set and costumes for our piece,” Senior Julia Nelson explained.
The beginning sessions focused on inspiration and exploring the Arboretum, according to Sophomore Will Van Elswyk. He found it was a “great opportunity to rethink my connection to nature and decide what I wanted to bring to the show.” In an impressive collaborative effort, the cast has been working in focus groups and then reconvening to blend pieces into a finished product.
“Starting from nothing, I think we all had a different idea about what the end result of the show was going to look like. We started from sixteen different concepts of the same play and ended up with a collaborative script that everyone can agree on and be proud of,” Junior Jamy Randrup commented. “Everybody involved has poured their heart and soul into creating this piece . . . which makes it a beautiful conglomerate of all our ideas and interpretations of nature,” Ashlyn Ness echoed.
“The hardest part about creating Muse is the time constraint, considering we only have five weeks to go from meeting each other to presenting a finished product! However, it also pushes us to be creative and find new solutions, so I don’t think Muse would be where it is now if the performances weren’t coming up so fast,” Van Elswyk shared.
Each cast member contributes their talents in devising this work designed uniquely by and for the group. Randrup, for example, coordinates and directs music, acts, and accompanies the show with a violin. “I’ve never gotten to do something this formalized before, but I love teaching music and arranging things for a group this size, and it has been so fun and rewarding to get to play choir director for a bit,” Randrup said. The whole cast is considered ensemble members, each playing many supporting roles, including nature spirits, a cryptid, talking trees, a young farmer, and even fire.
Leaving the confines of a theater and performing outside opens new possibilities for performance. “Doing the show outdoors means we can play with space, sound, and storytelling in a way that’s impossible on a normal stage,” Van Elswyk mentioned. The audience will follow the show through various sets throughout the Arboretum as the story advances, aiming to enhance the audience’s immersion in the show. “There is also a certain degree of interaction between the audience and the cast, so if people like immersive theater and nature, this would be right up their alley,” Ness added.
Van Elswyk encourages people to check out the show because it “explores important topics related to change, open-mindedness, and the world in which we live. There’s something for everyone in Muse. It’s chaotic, funny, grounded, melodic, welcoming, and multi-faceted, just like nature.”
Tickets to Muse are free for students and available now through the Hometown Ticketing app.