In a progressive-collaborative effort, Ohio State’s Departments of Theater, Dance and Music, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and the Columbus Children’s Choir will present “Peer Gynt,” a dramatic poem of epic scale that looks at humanity from a diverse perspective.
“It is a wonderful collaboration with the theater, dance and music departments along with the Columbus Symphony and Choir,” said Beth Cruse, senior in vocal performance. “It is amazingly high energy and incorporates some great special effects.”
This full-stage production combines Henrik Ibsen’s “Peer Gynt,” a story of a young man’s quest for self-discovery, with the incidental music of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. With over 200 people involved, including the orchestra, this is a performance of great magnitude.
Ibsen, for which success did not come easily, is now universally recognized as the father of modern drama and best known for his social-realist plays “Hedda Gabler” and “A Doll House.” His plays did not receive instant recognition, as the audience of his time did not care for the mythic and epic tones of his plays. However, today, Ibsen’s “Peer Gynt,” in a production of this magnitude, is determined to give credit where credit is due, to the incredible talent of this highly acclaimed playwright.
The incidental music by Grieg works very well within the production. Rather than being set in the background the music acts like the spine of the play. The music is based on the play, but the two were not meant to be put together. With music and play side-by-side rather than fused or intertwined together, the two work according to their own natural rhythms.
“This is a stage production with incidental music,” said David Altman, playing the lead role of “Peer Gynt.” “This is gargantuan… this is huge.”
The play is a journey through the life of Peer, who finds himself in many “different shoes,” roaming the world, and tripping many times along the way. Peer calls into question the inability to live in harmony with our fellow humans. His encounters with a bride, trolls, dancing girls, mysterious strangers and a Button Molder, leads Peer to confront many different obstacles and identities. It is a mystical tale filled with symbolism, dance, music and singing. In an abstract and obscure manner, the play seeks to stimulate the mind and imagination.
“I think it is entertaining and thought provoking,” Altman said. “I think the fairy-tale quality is important because in many ways, it is the way we deal with life.”
This production specifically will be cutting-edge technically, visually, and artistically. It is slightly modernized while maintaining a classic feel with the music. In addition, the production will feature some of the world’s most recent and sophisticated lighting technology. The Department of Theater’s Mary Tarantino, lighting designer and head of OSU’s Moving Lights Laboratory, has designed a premiere moving lights system to amplify the energy and uniqueness of the production.
“Peer Gynt” marks the first artistic collaboration of its kind between the OSU art departments and the symphony. And as the Columbus Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary season, it plans to use this as a springboard for new initiatives in innovative concert experiences.
This enormous collaboration has been challenging and rewarding for those involved. Altman thinks that this has been an incredible experience and thinks that more initiatives should be taken to put on more productions like this in the future.
“I don’t think most people know what goes into a production like this,” Altman said. “The coordination and communication is vital, which makes this incredible. Making all these elements suture together seamlessly takes so much time and talent. This is bigger than most people know.”
The play’s director, Philip Thompson, is an associate professor and resident voice specialist in the Department of Theater at OSU. Christopher Wilkins, guest conductor is in his tenth season as music director of the San Antonio Symphony, has gained national recognition as a creator of innovative and entertaining musical programs.
“Peer Gynt” will be shown at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Mershon Auditorium. Tickets for these shows range from $10 to $39 and can be purchased by calling the CSO Customer Service Center at 228-8600 or through the Columbus Symphony Orchestra’s Web site, www.columbussymphony.com.
In addition, a special young people’s concert of the production will take place at 10:00 a.m. today at Mershon Auditorium. Tickets for this special show are $8 and can be purchased at the door.
