Theatre department takes a journey with 'On The Verge'

A voice greets the audience as the house lights dim: "Ladies, gentlemen and others, welcome to Terra Incognita, where life as we know it is not, well, as we know it."
The Auburn University Department of Theatre selected Eric Overmyer's comedy, "On the Verge, or The Geography of Yearning" to kick off its centennial season.
Inspired by the journals of female adventurers, the play follows three Victorian-American women who trek to locations unknown.
While exploring the uncharted territory Terra Incognita, they discover they are moving forward through time and eventually end up in the progressive, consumer-driven 1950s.
This play invites audiences to set aside their notions of a typical story arc.
Rather than a realistic or filmic presentation, "On the Verge" indulges in theatricality.
Daydrie Hague, director and associate professor of theatre, said it is constructed to be a journey of the imagination, which may be unusual to some audiences at first.
"These women are discovering the outer world and the inner world of themselves at the same time," Hague said. "The idea of the Victorian sensibility coming up against modern and consumer culture, that's where the fun is -- those two worlds colliding."
The actors were required not only to learn their lines, but also to grasp a difficult vocabulary.
To express the definitions of more lofty words, Hague, a specialist in language, dialect and vocal technique, guided the three female leads to embody the language.
"We really worked on using a lot of imagery and really took time to go through the language and make sure we understand exactly what we're saying," said Anna Claire Walker, senior in theatre and Mary Baltimore in the play.
Walker, along with actors and juniors in theatre Daley Browning and Anna Caudle, was cast at the end of the spring semester.
Walker said her favorite word from the script: "Echolalia: (n.) repeated vocalizations; often found in infants as they discover the capacity to talk."
The actors' ability to handle challenging text went into the casting process, and roles were chosen based on the women's imagination, commitment and energy.
With a long rehearsal period, the cast prepared for their roles by researching lives of Victorian female explorers.
Caudle said it wasn't difficult to relate to her character, Alexandra Cafuffle.
"I think her passion is really inspirational -- that really resonates with me," Caudle said. "I like that she speaks her mind and that she's very far from perfect."
Fereshteh Rostampour, associate professor of theatre and an award-winning set designer, said she used the imaginative world of the play as inspiration.
Five rotating, mirrored panels and computer projections convey time travel, while a bare set allows the stage to easily transform into exotic locales.
Tracy Oleinick, associate professor of theatre and the play's costume designer, said she modified traditional Victorian fashions to allow the actors a broader range of movement.
"On the Verge" is about adventure, challenging the norm and mapping the geography of one's inner life. It celebrates intellectual exploration and the eccentricities of the English language. Though the protagonists are females with a Victorian perspective, Auburn audiences can expect to walk away with fresh inspiration to take on life's challenges.
"It's an important commentary on empowerment," Browning said. "It's a commentary about discovering yourself and going out and living your life."
Caudle's urged theatre-goers to open their hearts to the play. She said she hopes people will go on their own journey with them.
"It is spring in our minds, ladies," Mary Baltimore said in the script. "A New World. Blossoming! Within and without!"
"On the Verge, or The Geography of Yearning" runs Sept. 26-29 and Oct. 1-4. Contact the Auburn University Theatre box office at 334-844-4154 to reserve tickets.
All Auburn students will receive 1 complimentary ticket with valid student ID.