The Drama Department’s take on “Everyman”— a play about the personification of society as a whole— was not your typical “everyplay.” Drama teacher Elizabeth Silverio and the Comprehensive Theatre class created a refreshing adaptation of the play with a modern setting and a unique musical underscore.
The play originally served as a lesson for Christians on how to live their lives righteously. Senior Alicia Cruz, a member of the Comprehensive Theatre class, believes that their adaptation has a different message.
“I think the message, since [the play] is modernized, is that the world is so fast-paced, the only thing that matters in the long run is what you did to other people,” Cruz said.
Though the play was based around Christian ideals, the modernized version was not geared toward any specific philosophy. Rather, basic principles about “the Golden Rule” were conveyed through the show.
“I wanted to make sure you don’t look at [the production] and think ‘I’m learning a specific religion,”’ Silverio said. “I think that what this does is uses religion as a means of teaching you to do good to others.”
The story takes place in New York City. The “everyman” is an average entrepreneur who encompasses the faults of greed and vanity, an all-too familiar scenario in today’s business centered world.
“We’re not seeing actors in medieval costumes saying their lines to the audience, but people in everyday life that we can relate to,” Silverio said.
The most notable addition to the show was the original musical underscore that was compiled by three drama students and played throughout the production to add to the mood of certain scenes.
“Some students took multiple pieces of instrumental music from online and retouched them,” Silverio said. “Our goal was to make an underscore you’ve never heard before.”