This week, the William Jewell Opera and Jewell Theatre Company are putting on a production of Orpheus in the Underworld. While you probably know the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice from more modern shows like Hadestown, this 1858 comedic opera by Jacques Offenbach spins Greek Mythology into an utter farce. The story loosely follows Orpheus and Eurydice, a young couple in a loveless marriage. Both have found other lovers. Eurydice has unknowingly fallen for Pluto, God of the Underworld. Pluto takes Eurydice away, and Orpheus is overjoyed until Public Opinion finds out what has occurred. Public Opinion demands that he travel to Olympus to ask the King of Gods, Jupiter, for Eurydice’s return from the underworld; if he does not, Orpheus will lose his career. Meanwhile, Eurydice has been trapped in the underworld, and her fate balances in the hands of the many gods who see her as a distraction from their otherwise boring lives.

The cast consists of 14 students, who study a variety of majors but all share a common interest in the performing arts. The production has been led by Music and Stage Director Dr. Laura Lowry, Collaborative Pianist and Assistant Music Director Leslie Bunch, and Technical Designer Nathan Wyman. The student leadership of this production stands out, as they went above and beyond to support their colleagues and present a quality show. The instrumental section is completed by Violinist Bryson Gates. Choreography was done by Lauren Taylor, Technical Direction by Lianna Morelli, Costumes, Hair, and Makeup were designed by Kai Robbins, Poster and Program Design by E.E. Naber and Bryson Gates. The Tech Crew includes Milo Johnson, Zachary Muñoz and Molly Touzinsky.

I was able to speak with Choreographer Lauren Taylor and Costume Designer Kai Robbins about their involvement and experience with putting together the opera. Lauren Taylor is a Senior majoring in Education and Psychology. Lauren choreographed several shows while in high school, but this is her first time choreographing a show in college. When asked about her favorite part of the production, Lauren said it was “making up choreography, which I’m like, ‘I don’t know if this is gonna work’. And then the first time that everyone did it together and it finally worked out I was like, ‘woah, it actually looks so good’.”

Kai Robbins is a first-year majoring in Political Science. Kai has previously worked on costumes, hair, wigs and makeup both in high school and earlier this fall for the Jewell Theater Company’s Production of Two Rooms. Kai said that their favorite part of this production was “Getting to piece it all together in these last couple of days. The lights coming together, and everyone’s vocals coming together. I’m finally getting costumes ready and everything, and watching everyone try them all on. Just like, every puzzle piece finally fitting together.”

There are only three chances to see this incredible opera. The show starts at 7pm on Thursday, April 23^rd and Saturday, 25^th, as well as 3pm on Sunday the 26^th. The show will be on campus in Peters Theater. There are no tickets for this show, rather a suggested donation of $10 at the door. We hope to see you there!

What was your favorite song or dance from the show?

Ivan Calderon (Musidorus/Cleophila): “We didn’t play the full song in the show, but ‘Lust to Love’ is hands-down my favorite song. […] In the show, we get to add fight choreography to it, so it’s epic, it’s so much fun. Every time, I remember leaving—especially during tech week—leaving rehearsals just blasting ‘Lust to Love’ on repeat… That was my anthem throughout the week.”

Lianna Morelli (Mopsa): “My favorite song is probably ‘Automatic Rainy Day.’ My favorite dance, though, was the dance we did in “Head Over Heels,” which was the opening to Act 2. I just had a really good time with it.”

Cal Perkins (Dametas): “I have to say I’m torn between two. ‘Here You Are’ is my favorite song for sure. I just love the different harmonies and just the lyricism that’s beautiful with the actual motion. It’s tied with ‘Vision of Nowness’ for sure. I didn’t really get to dance in that, but it was so hard not to sing during it because that’s my favorite Go-Go’s song for sure.”

Who was your favorite character?

Calderon: “Standouts for me would be Basilius [played by Marquis Williams] and Pamela [played by Emma Kelly]. I like both of them a lot. For me, just being a scene partner, particularly with Emma, who played Pamela. Getting to witness the sass sometimes led me to almost breaking [character] on stage.”

Morelli: “Honestly, I just think [Queen] Gynecia [played by Kassidy Schmidt] is a badass. She put up with being cheated on for a really long time, and I love her character arc, and I love that she gets to take over the kingdom at the end.”

Perkins: “Basilius is definitely one of my favorite [characters]… Just being able to be on stage with Marquis and kinda just being there for the journey [that Basilius goes on] […] It’s just so fun to experience. I would honestly say I really do love Mopsa as a character. This is maybe the Demetas in me talking. [She’s] such a strong character and she is the more serious of [Mopsa and Pamela], but then again, she speaks to woodland animals. I mean, that’s baller, so I just love her character. She’s so fun.”

How did you handle playing a character that was less accepting of queer identity than you?

Perkins: “When I got cast [as Demetas], I was like, ‘Okay, this will be a change,’ and then realizing that he becomes an ally at the end was relieving, honestly. Aside from that, I have a lot of my family [that] doesn’t want to touch anything LGBTQ+ or anything of that sort. So I kind of had to think about what [my family] would think and what Demetas’s journey has been. It was a little interesting as someone who is trans/genderfluid, being on a stage and trying to play a cisgender man who exiled his partner and is realizing that his daughter is lesbian. The character arc was so interesting to play with and think about.”

What did you enjoy about the queer aspects of your characters?

Morelli: “Mopsa explores more of the sexuality part than the gender side of [queer identity].  It was interesting for me to try and find where Mopsa is in trying to get Pamela to have [the] realization [that she is a lesbian] because you see it throughout the show. Especially in the poetry scene, Pamela’s very close to realizing what it is that she wants. And Mopsa says, ‘You’re so close, you’re right there,’ and the whole time she’s trying to do it without being too pushy.”

Calderon: “I like how Musidorus subverted the trope of the heroic journey. He doesn’t really have the means to be a knight or a warrior or a hero of any standard means, but then he is bestowed this power [that we see in the fight scenes]. [Playing Musidorus] allowed me to not feel restricted on stage to any extent… as an actor, I just had a lot of fun on stage being confident in my body and myself and doing my thing.”

What do you hope audiences take away from the production?

Emma Kelly (Pamela): “The message I wanted to give is to be seen. I want people like this [i.e., queer people] to be seen. Pamela from the beginning—she loves herself, but she doesn’t know what else she loves. There’s clearly something missing, and I think there’s a lot of people out there that struggle with knowing that there’s something different but [not quite knowing] how to articulate it. […] A lot of times, people don’t know these relationships [exist] because they don’t actively see them… But a show like this is making people see [queer relationships] and hear about [them] in a way that is palatable—in a way that is understanding.”

Marquis Williams (Basilius): “Breaking traditions and change can benefit everything. Basilius is such a man of tradition. And the reasons why he made the decisions he made was that he felt threatened. He’s like, ‘I can run the kingdom.’ And that was in the beginning. But once he decided to accept change, that’s when everything ended [better than it was initially]. Change breaks traditions and breaks boundaries.”

Calderon: “I really wanted people to find entertainment from this [production]. […] Of course, we want our audience to enjoy themselves because then there’s that feedback and energy where we raise the state [of the show] or raise the energy as well. People who haven’t seen this kind of media before aren’t really used to seeing queer representation on stage. [Those people will] just find enjoyment in seeing it. […] To some extent, even though maybe there are some aspects where older audiences or more conservative audiences won’t really agree with certain aspects of the show, at least they’ll connect with it, which will allow that representation to be seen as good entertainment as well, but also in a way that’s done correctly and thoughtfully and meaningfully.”

Morelli: “There’s a line in the show that says, ‘No true paradise remains in place forever.’ I think that sums up what I want people to take from the show. […] Things change and things happen and you have to be accepting of that change. As people are discovering who they are, as people come out, as people make these self-discoveries, it’s so important for the people around them to just be there and be accepting and be loving and kind with the way they interact and they speak to them, no matter what they think about it. It’s good. Change can be good. Change encourages progress. And I think that to create the truest paradise we just have to be accepting.”

Concluding Thoughts

Jewell Theatre Company’s “Head Over Heels” was a breath of fresh air. The cast placed significant emphasis on queer representation in the show; seeing queer people and relationships in media is crucial to build a more accepting future. Plus, the company’s “Head Over Heels” production was good theater. I cannot wait to see what JTCo comes up with next! 

To see more performances from Jewell’s Department of Performing Arts, check the Department’s performance calendar here. You can also follow @jewelltheaterco on Instagram.

Anyone who has witnessed a production by the performers of William Jewell College knows the outstanding talent that these artists possess. This week, the Jewell Theatre Company presents “9 to 5: The Musical.” This thrilling musical is based on a book written by Patricia Resnick and showcases lyrics and music written by Dolly Parton. 

The musical will be performed on Jewell’s campus in Peter’s Theater located inside Brown Hall at 7 p.m. April 7 and April 9 and at 3 p.m. April 10. 

Students who missed their chance at a free ticket can reserve their tickets online at this link for $5. General admission tickets can also be reserved online for $12. 

The talented students you can expect to see in the cast include first-years Becca Alvey, Marquis Wiliams, Daniel (Leo) Edwards and Caroline (Fern) Perkins; sophomores Sydney Edie, Andrew Ivy, Garrett Washington and Georgia Hatfield;  juniors Isabel Warden, Faith Harris, Paige Wright and Olga Morales; and seniors Emma Mayfield, Jaimeson Satterfield and Lauren Kay. There are also many talented students who will display their skills behind the scenes including Jasmine Wornall-Rivas, Bethany Holst, Sam Slaughter and Cass Schuster.

Mentioned above are just a few of the many students, faculty members and guests who have given their time, skills and effort in the past few months to prepare “9 to 5 the Musical” for the enjoyment of friends, family, peers and connoisseurs of the arts. This is a show students will not want to miss.

Emma Mayfield’s journey as an artist began as early as sixth grade, when she participated in a small private school theater production. She has been involved in theater ever since and is now a junior at William Jewell College with over 15 productions and many theater classes under her belt.

“My practice hasn’t changed too much besides gaining more knowledge on how to improve at my craft; I love theater and have worked hard to get where I am,” Mayfield said.

Mayfield has held many leading roles in her time with Jewell Theatre Company including Hero in “Much Ado About Nothing,” Grace Fryer in “Radium Girls” and Bunny in “House of Blue Leaves.” She is also taking on the female lead, Julia, in Jewell Theater Company’s latest production, “1984,” which has been adapted to film due to the current pandemic. 

“I enjoy dramatic, challenging roles within the theater; I also really enjoy cross-dressing and getting to explore gender. I like to challenge myself as an artist because that’s the only way I’m going to get better – it teaches me patience, perseverance, and confidence,” said Mayfield. 

Recently, she has branched out into some other types of art as well. This has given her a chance to create simply for the fun of it, or as gifts for those she loves, and to just relax with less pressure to be perfect.

“About a year ago, I received a water color set as a gift, got a couple canvases and sketch books, gathered all my acrylic paint supplies, and I took up painting. Quarantine also inspired me to fill my time creating things, so I took up tie-dying any white cloth I could find – including my bed cover!” Mayfield said. 

Social media has also helped Mayfield to explore what types of art she wants to create. She enjoys painting and using others’ art as inspiration, mostly doing it for recreational purposes. 

“I find a lot of inspiration on social media, so these women are both Tiktok famous artists that I follow: Savannah Saturn and Jackie Harder,” Mayfield said. “Saturn works with canvas art, jewelry and has her own paint pen line. Harder works with sculpture and airbrushing.”

Her favorite artists inspire her to be weird, be herself and always use more color. In her visual art, Mayfield loves watercolors, abstract/out of the ordinary influences and vast amounts of color. 

“I love acrylic paint on canvas; it allows me to pencil in anything I can’t do freehand, then I move on to painting over it with my colors. I love painting eyes, plants, words, and famous characters,” said Mayfield. “I’m currently working on a ‘Family Guy’ piece actually. I also love to tie-dye and bleach dye clothing items. I like looking as colorful as my canvases.”

Mayfield makes most of her art for her significant other, family and friends.

“I show people I care by creating for them something that is uniquely from me. I would say my inspiration stems from that thought process – what will they like, what are their interests, how can I capture both them and myself in this artwork?” said Mayfield.

On days when she is not working on a present for someone else, Mayfield’s inspiration really draws from her mood and where she is at mentally. 

“Sometimes my mental state affects my work; I don’t always want to make art. Sometimes I feel too exhausted, or sometimes I’m worried anything I make will turn out poorly. When those roadblocks come, I try to make something anyway; I think pushing through it makes me into a better artist and a more patient person. I find creating, practicing and rehearsing my art to be therapeutic, and I strive to be better every day,” said Mayfield.

Music is also a great influence in Mayfield’s work and she feels that it is truly another art medium that can help move an artist or influence a piece in a significant way. 

“I listen to music while I create, I use music to inspire what I might paint, and I sometimes paint music lyrics onto a canvas,” said Mayfield. “I recently created a painting with images representing Harry Styles’ new album Fine Line.”

Hilltop asked Mayfield if she had any advice for other artists – her biggest tip is to just be yourself.

“Life is too short to paint what others want to see or to perform safe, neutral shows. I say let’s push boundaries, break the status quo, and work together with your fellow artists to make art a priority again,” Mayfield said. “You don’t have to be an artist to create either; explore what you like, try something new or simply write and see what comes to mind.”