‘Machinal’ opens URI theatre department’s diverse season
Machinal, written by playwright Sophie Treadwell in 1928, tells the story of a young female stenographer who follows the rituals that society expects of women, regardless of her resistance to them.
This ultimately leads to her violent demise.
The play, which opens Thursday, Oct. 10, in J Studio at the Fine Arts Center, was inspired by the real-life case of convicted and executed murderer Ruth Snyder.
St-Germain in a scene with Abraphine Ngafaih, who plays Mother, in Machinal.
Nearly a millennium later, many of the messages in the play still ring true.
“Treadwell wrote this play as an act of outrage – outrage at the social and economic pressures women faced in the early 20th century. Although much has evolved for women at home and in the workplace in the 100 years since she wrote the play, much of what the central character faces will feel very relevant,” said director and theatre professor Rachel Walshe.
In a new venture, Princess Johnson, a sophomore theatre student, supports Walshe as assistant director. The irony of a young woman going after what she wants in earnest, isn’t lost on Johnson in the context of working on this play.
“I really wanted to work on the show. So I actually emailed the director, Rachel Walshe, about why I should be the assistant director, and she happily agreed to it. It’s crazy because if I hadn’t sent that email, I would be in my dorm doing homework right now. I’ve just fallen in love with it and I feel like I’m discovering so much after every single rehearsal,” said Johnson.
With a heavy (albeit important) subject matter at hand, other challenges presented themselves when perfecting the style of this production. Machinal is considered to be one of the highpoints of Expressionist theatre (a theatrical style that emphasizes the failure of societal systems that have been overlooked through emotion) in the history of the American stage.
“We don’t do a lot of plays with period style and so cultivating a sense of period and style for student actors is among the biggest challenges,” said Walshe. We tend to learn acting from our favorite TV shows and films which focus on realism. For the highly theatrical world of Machinal,
it is critical that the cast can embody the dynamic expressiveness that Treadwell writes into her play. This has been a challenge but one that has been a joy to overcome,” said Walshe.
The small, yet mighty cast of Machinal is driven by four actors, Eva St-Germain (Young Woman), Christian Owen (Husband/Ensemble), Abraphine Ngafaih (Mother/Ensemble), and Tatiana Sullivan (Telephone Girl/Ensemble). Walshe views the department as an educational program first when it comes to casting.
“I look holistically at what the play needs but also what my student actors need in terms of experience. Plus, I am always looking to cast an ensemble who are excited to work together and commit themselves to the rigorous demands of a play such as Machinal. I would be remiss if I didn’t single out our lead actor, Eva St-Germain. She is very early in her actor training here at URI and yet has proven herself more than capable of leading a cast in a highly demanding role such as this. I knew she would excel but she has far exceeded any of my expectations in terms of emotional depth and work ethic,” she said.
When asked about her perspective about the relevance of the play in today’s cultural zeitgeist, leading lady Eva St-Germain acknowledges the extreme, expressionistic nature of the play, but can truly see the heart of it.
“Deep down, a young woman wants someone to hear her and see her. There are many chances throughout the play where someone could have helped her, but they are so set on how she should be, that they can’t get over that she wants something different,” said St-Germain. “Society affects everyone in this show, it forces the characters into their roles, and sometimes they don’t even mind. However, the Young Woman is confused as to why she wants something more, freedom.”
The playwright, Sophie Treadwell, could see this problem clearly. Treadwell was also a journalist and was inspired to write the play because of her coverage of Ruth Snyder, who killed her husband in 1927 and was convicted and killed by electric chair. Snyder’s actions were not an isolated incident; Treadwell felt inspired to question what the driving force could be behind such actions after numerous other spousal murders in the 1920s.
Treadwell was not one to follow all the rules; she was a woman of great independence and strength. She stayed in France to cover the First World War when other female and male reporters left, and she covered the Mexican Revolution for the New York Tribune. Her tenacity and, at the time — gall, serves as an example for women going after what they want.
This highlights another beautiful irony about the direction of the play in 2024. Originally, it was directed by a man, Arthur Hopkins, at its 1928 Broadway premier. It’s impossible not to consider the effects of the play being told by a female director instead.
Walshe is very familiar with the play, as she directed Machinal for her MFA thesis at the Theatre School at DePaul University in 2008. Sixteen years later, she was thrilled to revisit the play when the URI theatre students pitched it.
“I hope students see this play and think deeply about the lives of their grandmothers and great grandmothers. I hope that they develop a newfound appreciation for the political and social battles waged by women to create a better world for women in the United States.” said Walshe.
Machinal runs Oct. 10-12 and 17-19, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 13 and 20, 2024, at 2 p.m. in J Studio at the Fine Arts Center, 105 Upper College Road, Kingston Campus. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $15 for senior citizens and URI students, faculty and staff. Tickets can be purchased online, by calling (401) 874-5843 or at the box office in Room 101H of the Fine Arts Center.
This press release was written by Paige Monopoli, communications coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences.
St-Germain in a scene with Abraphine Ngafaih, who plays Mother, in Machinal.Nearly a millennium later, many of the messages in the play still ring true.
“Treadwell wrote this play as an act of outrage – outrage at the social and economic pressures women faced in the early 20th century. Although much has evolved for women at home and in the workplace in the 100 years since she wrote the play, much of what the central character faces will feel very relevant,” said director and theatre professor Rachel Walshe.
In a new venture, Princess Johnson, a sophomore theatre student, supports Walshe as assistant director. The irony of a young woman going after what she wants in earnest, isn’t lost on Johnson in the context of working on this play.
“I really wanted to work on the show. So I actually emailed the director, Rachel Walshe, about why I should be the assistant director, and she happily agreed to it. It’s crazy because if I hadn’t sent that email, I would be in my dorm doing homework right now. I’ve just fallen in love with it and I feel like I’m discovering so much after every single rehearsal,” said Johnson.
With a heavy (albeit important) subject matter at hand, other challenges presented themselves when perfecting the style of this production. Machinal is considered to be one of the highpoints of Expressionist theatre (a theatrical style that emphasizes the failure of societal systems that have been overlooked through emotion) in the history of the American stage.
“We don’t do a lot of plays with period style and so cultivating a sense of period and style for student actors is among the biggest challenges,” said Walshe. We tend to learn acting from our favorite TV shows and films which focus on realism. For the highly theatrical world of Machinal,
it is critical that the cast can embody the dynamic expressiveness that Treadwell writes into her play. This has been a challenge but one that has been a joy to overcome,” said Walshe.
The small, yet mighty cast of Machinal is driven by four actors, Eva St-Germain (Young Woman), Christian Owen (Husband/Ensemble), Abraphine Ngafaih (Mother/Ensemble), and Tatiana Sullivan (Telephone Girl/Ensemble). Walshe views the department as an educational program first when it comes to casting.
“I look holistically at what the play needs but also what my student actors need in terms of experience. Plus, I am always looking to cast an ensemble who are excited to work together and commit themselves to the rigorous demands of a play such as Machinal. I would be remiss if I didn’t single out our lead actor, Eva St-Germain. She is very early in her actor training here at URI and yet has proven herself more than capable of leading a cast in a highly demanding role such as this. I knew she would excel but she has far exceeded any of my expectations in terms of emotional depth and work ethic,” she said.
When asked about her perspective about the relevance of the play in today’s cultural zeitgeist, leading lady Eva St-Germain acknowledges the extreme, expressionistic nature of the play, but can truly see the heart of it.
“Deep down, a young woman wants someone to hear her and see her. There are many chances throughout the play where someone could have helped her, but they are so set on how she should be, that they can’t get over that she wants something different,” said St-Germain. “Society affects everyone in this show, it forces the characters into their roles, and sometimes they don’t even mind. However, the Young Woman is confused as to why she wants something more, freedom.”
The playwright, Sophie Treadwell, could see this problem clearly. Treadwell was also a journalist and was inspired to write the play because of her coverage of Ruth Snyder, who killed her husband in 1927 and was convicted and killed by electric chair. Snyder’s actions were not an isolated incident; Treadwell felt inspired to question what the driving force could be behind such actions after numerous other spousal murders in the 1920s.
Treadwell was not one to follow all the rules; she was a woman of great independence and strength. She stayed in France to cover the First World War when other female and male reporters left, and she covered the Mexican Revolution for the New York Tribune. Her tenacity and, at the time — gall, serves as an example for women going after what they want.
This highlights another beautiful irony about the direction of the play in 2024. Originally, it was directed by a man, Arthur Hopkins, at its 1928 Broadway premier. It’s impossible not to consider the effects of the play being told by a female director instead.
Walshe is very familiar with the play, as she directed Machinal for her MFA thesis at the Theatre School at DePaul University in 2008. Sixteen years later, she was thrilled to revisit the play when the URI theatre students pitched it.
“I hope students see this play and think deeply about the lives of their grandmothers and great grandmothers. I hope that they develop a newfound appreciation for the political and social battles waged by women to create a better world for women in the United States.” said Walshe.
Machinal runs Oct. 10-12 and 17-19, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 13 and 20, 2024, at 2 p.m. in J Studio at the Fine Arts Center, 105 Upper College Road, Kingston Campus. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $15 for senior citizens and URI students, faculty and staff. Tickets can be purchased online, by calling (401) 874-5843 or at the box office in Room 101H of the Fine Arts Center.
This press release was written by Paige Monopoli, communications coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences.