Development
Identity issues are as old as gods and monsters and as current as that weird reality show in which families swap races. Taking on this timeless enigma are two new plays, Gilgamesh and Enkidu and What Are You?, both works-in-progress presented by the Portland Stage Intern Company under the billing Devised.
“Devising,” as defined by thespians, is the act of creating a new play through a collaborative rehearsal process. Portland Stage Intern Company directors and actors began with bare-bones outlines and, over time, developed themes, characters, and plot lines. The resulting shows, on stage this weekend in the Studio Theater of the Portland Performing Arts Center, represent the current phase of productions that will continue to evolve.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu takes a look at what’s widely considered the world’s first written story, the tale of the friendship between Gilgamesh, part-god, part man, and Enkidu, who was raised by wild animals. Directed by Leah Batt and featuring Seth Berner, Dan Bracken, Allison Kelly, Jackie Oliveri, Matt Young, and Gretchen Ziegler, the play explores the definitions and dimensions of what it means to be human.
In a different take on the theme of identity, the second half of Devised, What Are You? examines the phenomenon of “passing.” Originally used in the context of light-skinned blacks who could “pass” for white, the word applies to a whole range of defining identities in What Are You? — including gender, sexual orientation, and religion. This investigation into the social and personal influences on identity, directed by Leigh Ann Morlock, presents the stories of seven people who strain to bring the many different parts of their identities into union. The cast includes Joshua Chard, Janice Gardner, Rebecca Hackett, Yonatan Melamed, and Brenna Jean Padesky.
Devised runs on March 17 and 18 at 8 pm. Tickets are pay-what-you-can and are available at the door.
