“Electric Roses” When you’re caught between two extremes, you hope to find a happy medium. This Friday evening, actors Zoe Roschach ’12, Khalil Flemming ’12 and Adam Brody ’14 will play the roles of Sarah, Russ and Darrell, respectively, in the drama, “Electric Roses,” written by David Howard and directed by Linda Blanken ’11. Sarah is stuck in an abusive relationship with bad-boy boyfriend, Russ, and realizes she must run away in order to avoid a beating that could go too far. Despite her desire to run away, her internal conflicts bring out her indecisiveness, in addition to the problems her best friend Darrell urges her to confront. Sarah finds herself torn between staying with the man she loves and protecting herself from his belligerent ways. Linda Blanken ’11 says, “Sarah loves Russ for his fire [and] his aggression. She loves him, but she has to leave him.” It becomes apparent that Sarah isn’t the only character with torn feelings. Her best friend, Darrell, is also plagued with conflicting feelings that alter Sarah’s decision. Blanken said “Darrell is the opposite of Russ. He’s a bit boring compared to Russ, but he’s gentle and sweet. He cares about Sarah a lot, but unfortunately is too weak to protect her from Russ, and that causes a dilemma.” Blanken also explained that there is a deeper significance of what the characters say and do in the play. She said, “It’s not [only] what is said, but [also] what’s not said.” Blanken said, “[The play] is emotionally appealing. It’s very simplistic but it also has deeper meanings, hidden.” The audience can also look forward to the unique incorporation of shadow and lighting in the play.
