The theatre department of Gustavus Adolphus College will be making its mark in the Twin Cities theatre community this weekend with their production of Thrill Me, performed at the Lowry Lab Theatre in St. Paul, Minn. from Sept. 16-19.
“Thrill Me is funded through the Gustavus Faculty-Student Collaboration grant. Our director, Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance Henry MacCarthy, is the one who is responsible for creating the relationship with the Lowry Lab Theatre in St. Paul. The grant offered us a production and marketing budget, which made this endeavor possible in the first place,” Senior Management and Theatre Major and Thrill Me cast member Christian DeMarais said.
“It was important to put our work, as well as the school’s name, out there in Minnesota’s theatre community, and we found that this venue would be one of the better ways to accomplish this. The show is one that requires a pretty intimate setting for the audience to fully experience/connect with, and the Lowry Lab Theatre is really perfect for it,” DeMarais said.
Thrill Me tells the true story of two teenagers who committed what some consider to be the most publicized, heinous crimes of the 20th century. The play focuses on the relationship between the two boys and recounts the events that led up to their idea of the perfect murder.
“I think students should go see this because it raises a lot of questions about youth in society, both then [1924] and now. This play examines the relationship between two young men who fully rely on one another. As this show unfolds on stage, we see how far people are willing to go for one another, no matter how unthinkable or how unfathomable,” DeMarais said.
The play features only two actors, Demarais as Loeb and Senior Japanese Studies and Theatre Major Michael Davidson as Leopold, and Senior Music Major Sam Grace as the accompanist.
“This is a very emotional and intense show. It plays for an hour and 20 minutes straight with no breaks. It is just the two actors on stage and our accompanist. The level of focus required is incredibly difficult to achieve,” DeMarais said.
“Because I play a character at age 54 as well as age 19, it requires a lot of mental, emotional and physical change from moment to moment,” DeMarais said.
Tickets are on sale for $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for students and seniors. They can be purchased at the SAO desk or at the door. You can reserve tickets by calling 740.590.3942. Showtimes are Sept. 16, 17 and 18 at 8:00 p.m. and Sept. 19 at 3:00 pm.
“When Henry MacCarthy contacted CAB about co-sponsorship, we were excited about the opportunity to support our own Theatre and Dance Department at a new venue. We agreed it was important to provide a chance for the Gustavus students to see it. CAB sponsored a free bus for the students attending Thursday’s performance,” Sophomore Communication Studies Major, Katie Batz said.
CAB and the theatre and dance department collaborated to fund a free ride to the performance to and from campus for the Thursday performance.
“I’m really eager to see this show. It’s especially exciting that the play is being performed in the Cities. It’s nice to see Gustavus branching out and getting more publicity,” Senior Communication Studies Major Lauren Bennett said.
“This show has something for absolutely anyone, and everyone onstage and off has put in an incredible amount of work into it. We try as much as we can to pour our souls into this performance every night. It is warm, fuzzy, gut-wrenching and heartbreaking all at the same time. I guarantee it will be worth it,” DeMarais said.