Showings of Tristan & Iseult, directed by Jeremy Ohringer, were held Nov. 4-7. NCC’s Theatre Department sponsored this show as their second production for the season. Being able to produce shows again this year has been very exciting for this group.
“. . . the ability to transition back to making work in-person was definitely energizing and tiring. . . There is a significant difference between 20 hour weeks of rehearsal on zoom in your bedroom versus 20 hour weeks in a theatre,” said Lindsay Gleason, ’22.
Gleason worked as a dramaturg for this production, helping to tell a cohesive story.
The plot
In this story, Tristan is sent to find a husband for the queen he serves. During the quest, he falls in love with said husband-to-be, Iseult, and they must keep their relationship a secret. Like most secrets, their love is eventually revealed. This revelation results in distress for all parties involved and the eventual separation of the loves. However, the ending sees them reunited through tragedy.
Historians disagree on the origins of the tale this production was based on, although most agree it either has British, Irish or Persian origins. The tale also traditionally portrays Tristan as a male and Iseult as a female. However, the cast and crew decided to have both of the show’s namesakes be male-identifying. They thought this modification added more to the theme of forbidden love.
Devised Theatre
The show was a devised theatre piece, which can be hard to define as the definition can change based on the situation. However, in this case, it meant that instead of having a script, the cast, designers and production team all collaborated together to create the production.
“Working with a team of talented actors on creating a show was so fun and informative about the theater process,” said Taylor Dobes, ’24.
Taylor, who played Frocin, also expressed appreciation for being a part of a show which was able to include LGBTQ+ representation. Being able to customize so many pieces of the show to fit the story that they wanted to tell was one benefit of using the devised theatre format.
A talented cast
The pamphlet described the story as a tale including death, adultery, passion, love ballads, potions, etc. The production did not disappoint as all of these components were present indeed. An action-packed piece, the production also included dancing and fight scenes. In addition to acting, most of the cast sang during various parts of the show. Sam Koppitz, ’22, who played Tristan, also performed on the piano.
Quick costume changes throughout the show signaled character changes for some, while others portrayed the same characters the whole show. The stage was set up with platforms on each side to represent the two European kingdoms.
“. . .there is a certain magic that comes from a group of people in space together and I am grateful to be getting back to that,” said Gleason.
Although this production was not advertised on the NCC Fine Arts webpage, most future productions can be found here.
