What does a struggling artist need? A patron, inspiration, and, most of all, a muse. What’s better than a mortal muse? One sent by the Norse gods for your own personal benefit, as in Gadzooks and Ophelia. This is not a time-traveling-trying-to-be-funny drama production. In fact, Gadzooks and Ophelia was serious and successful. The combination of great team work, excellent acting, and an energetic audience made this theatre production a hit. The cast included Rebecca “Q” Yankes ’07 as a dominant God, Odin; Mary Krome ’09 as a struggling artist, Ophelia; and Dan Adamsky ’06 as a mythical muse, Gadzooks. All of the actors were excellent. Yankes opened the show spectacularly with animated facial expressions and dynamic interactions with the other characters. “I even felt like a God,” she said after the act. Krome’s performance was refreshing. Her body language emphasized both her acting prowess and her unique style. Adamsky superbly weaved witty, comical remarks into the structure of this serious show. “It was a great time commitment for all of us, but the combination of a great team and energy from the crowd made this a great night. We had a lot of fun!” said Adamsky. The energy of the audience in the packed theater classroom was palpable even before the performance began. Anabel Bacon ’09 said, “They were very great, incredible actors in my opinion, though there were few glitches like set changes and lights, I believe that overall was a success.” Despite a few minor errors, such as lighting mistakes and faulty scene changes, the theatre production was amazing. Director Lilli Stein ’07 emphasized the theme of an artist needing the passion and zeal of a warrior to attain success. “If you’re going to be a warrior or a blues singer, in your case, you got to do it with all your heart and feeling,” Adamsky said to Krome. All of the actors conveyed this theme well, in a testament to the quality of Stein’s direction. These artists, director and actors alike, truly did channel all of the fierceness of a warrior to produce a dynamic and vigorous performance.
