Theatre department director Valerie Flower recently revealed to the WaltOnion that the theatre department will be performing a dramatization of the student handbook this April. Flower explained that the idea for this performance was formed a long time ago. “Whenever I decide which plays to put on at Eastern, I look towards the most meaningful pieces of media and literature that I have ever read.”
When Flower first joined Eastern as the head of the theatre department, she had to read the student handbook. “I was incredibly moved,” Flower reflected, “It was one of the most beautiful texts I’ve ever read.” From that moment onwards, Flower wanted to put on a production of the handbook. “I thought, ‘what will this beautiful handbook look like dramatized and performed on stage?’” Flower recounted. “The theatre format is just so perfect for a handbook with so much feeling and soul.” Flower has been unable to produce the handbook in the past, because she has been unable to find students who fully appreciate her vision for the production, and who would be able to “put on a performance worthy of such a great text,” in Flower’s words.
The performance is four hours in duration because Flower did not want to leave out any of the details of the beautiful handbook. The play will begin with a dramatic musical rendition of the table of contents, followed by an interpretive dance routine inspired by the “Community Expectations & University Policies” and the “Policy Revision Statement” sections of the handbook. After these preliminaries, the real meat of the production begins, with a dramatized scene based on “The Residence Life Policies.” The scene will move meticulously through each aspect of the policies from “Lounge Utilization/ Furniture” to “Window/ Window Screens/ Window Displays.” “No detail – no matter how small – will be left out,” said Flower. “We really want to do justice to the handbook.” The production will end with monologues by EU theatre major seniors on Eastern’s Academic Policy, Anti-Hazing Policy, and Discriminatory Acts Policy. These monologues will be verbatim from the handbook, in order to “preserve their emotional prowess in the original,” according to Flower. However, in order to enhance their dramatic effect, the seniors will indulge in screams of fear, shouts of laughter and cries of rage whenever the handbook makes a particularly impactful point.
Many EU students and faculty will be involved in the production. The Eastern University choir will sing the opening rendition of the table of contents, with a special appearance by Dr. Perry Brisbon singing an operatic solo entitled “Student Code of Conduct.” The entire dance department is involved in the interpretive dance and have become very passionately invested. In fact, Flower hinted that touring professional dancer Nicole deRoux, who recently taught a master class at Eastern, choreographed the “Policy Revision Statement” section of the dance. DeRoux who is currently touring with the Tony award winning Broadway musical “Hamilton.” “But that project is nothing compared with this,” said Flower. “I mean, the handbook is just begging to be adapted into an interpretive dance, and deRoux could see that, too.”
Amari Dickerson and Luke Baker will star in the theatrical scene. Dickerson will portray the handbook itself, while Baker will play a student who violates each student policy one by one, and has to be put to rights by the handbook. Both students have expressed their excitement for the role. “There’s just so much to work with,” said Flower, “Especially for the role of the handbook.”
The production is scheduled for the second weekend in April, with performances on April 11 and 12, at 7 p.m., and April 13 at 2 p.m. Students will not want to miss such a compelling piece as this theatre performance is sure to be! But feel free to brush up on the source material first and indulge in the joy of reading the student handbook!
