David Etheridge answers tough questions in original theatre production

2010 Oct 8

David Etheridge, a senior at Augustana from South Holland, Ill, is ready to wrestle with hot-button issues like race, politics, and religion in the original theatre production, Wrestling with Angels and Demons. Performances for the show will run Friday, October 15 and 22 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, October 16 and 23 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, October 17 and 24 at 1:30 p.m. at the Potter Theatre in Bergendoff Hall of Fine Arts (3701 7th Ave, Rock Island, Ill.).

Wrestling with Angels and Demons is unique because it was inspired, written and produced entirely by Augustana students and faculty members. Rather than playing characters, the students onstage will present their own honest answers to questions like, "What does the 'American dream' mean to you?" and "Is it possible that Rod Blagojevich is blacker than Barack Obama?" The show's multimedia format and insightful social commentary promise to engage audience members of all ages and cultural backgrounds.

Etheridge, who is majoring in mathematics, said the show's personal format has been a rewarding challenge. "In the show I play a mix of myself when I was eighteen and myself now. It has been hard reconnecting with the feelings of my younger self, since I've grown and matured since I was eighteen. But I like being able to tell my own story. When people see me in this show, it is not a mask. It is genuinely me."

The six-member cast and their director Dr. Scott Irelan spent six months writing material for the play prior to beginning rehearsals. Irelan said, "Every production of new, never-before-seen material poses challenges that scripted, previously produced drama does not. In this case, finding an overall logic for our use of popular culture, personal narrative and group writing has kept us busy. Those who attend the performances will see the fourth version of the script."

Irelan and the six student writers have also worked closely with assistant professor of theatre Adam Parboosingh, who is coordinating the technological aspects of the production. With the help of the students in Parboosingh's sound and lighting classes, the performers' narratives will be enhanced by music clips, projected photos and live video footage.

Irelan has been anxious to direct a show like Wrestling with Angels and Demons since he arrived as an assistant professor at Augustana in 2007. "Part of my graduate work dealt with race, religion and democracy in the 1930s, so exploring the same issues in our time seemed appropriate. When Obama-mania hit the country full force, I knew the time was right for such a project." Other Augustana shows under Irelan's direction have included The Big Funk and the award-winning multimedia production Omniscience.

Tickets for Wrestling with Angels and Demons are $11 for the general public or $9 for senior citizens, full-time students and children. Seating for the performances is by general admission. Tickets may be purchased at www.augustana.edu/tickets, calling (309) 794-7306 or at the door.

Wrestling with Angels and Demons is the first production in the Augustana Department of Theatre Arts' 2010-2011 performance season, "Reflections." Other productions will include Metamorphoses, a contemporary retelling of Ovid's classic tales, and Thorton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, Our Town. Season ticket packages are available for $28.50 for the general public and $22.50 for senior citizens, full-time students and children. To purchase season tickets, please call the ticket office at (309) 794-7306.