Find the power to fight the darkness.
Take a step inside a story within a story, transcending time and space, as Belmont’s Department of Theatre and Dance presents “A Wrinkle in Time” the second and third weekends in November in the Black Box Theater.
When “A Wrinkle in Time” is published in 1962, a group of people from all walks of life begin reading their own copies of the book and become so engrossed in the story that they start taking on the various roles of the characters in the novel. Through their journey, the group learns that the secret to overcoming evil is through love.
Assistant Professor Dr. Carla Lahey, who is directing the show, said the story is all too relevant today.
“Our world is kind of crazy and shadowed right now. I love that the show brings in the scripture about God using the teachings of the world to shame the wise, and it's really the power of these kids to fight the darkness,” she said. “You don't have to be big, and you don't have to be powerful to make a big difference in the world. I love that story for kids.”
The show also focuses on how reading can powerfully kindle community and open new worlds for people, as it does with the characters in the show.
A Look Behind the Curtain
The two realities happening on stage come to life through the students’ creative and intentional decisions on the show’s lighting, costumes and set design.
“When the actors are ‘readers’ it’s all in black and white – the set and costumes reveal a monochromatic world. Then when they get to the book, we add in color,” Lahey explained. “It’s subtle, but all of our design choices are thinking about telling that story.”
The production team began researching in August to talk about the direction they’d take the show – finalizing the designs before rehearsals even began. When the cast and crew first met, Lahey laid out her vision for the show and the designers came in to share their ideas for what everything would look like, as well. Beyond that, the cast were assigned class credit hours for costuming because they designed their own colorful costumes, which allowed them to take ownership and invent their lead characters.
“We painted this whole world for the actors on day one,” Lahey said. “And then on day two, we started staging. It’s been a really collaborative process.”
Performing any show in the Black Box Theatre presents unique challenges as there is no backstage – so all the actors are on stage for the entire show.
In "A Wrinkle in Time," the solution to “storing” the actors was to build up with a set three stories high. And with several other shows happening on campus this fall, the crew was challenged to build creatively, quickly and efficiently.
What to Look For
"It’s fun, it’s feel good, it’s hopeful," Lahey replied when asked what attendees could expect.
Many people grew up with this story, and the team wants to deliver a healthy dose of nostalgia to the audience. But, they also want to share the story with a younger audience too – as the key message is that younger people have the power to take action and stay hopeful, even when they’re scared.
Lahey went on to describe how Madeleine L'Engle, author of “A Wrinkle in Time,” weaves her Christian faith into the story. The main character quotes scripture in key moments, and the overarching theme takes on the battle of good and evil.
“The main character is terrified but decides to take a big step and fight for what’s important to her, and it works out really well,” Lahey explained. “And that’s what these characters are illustrating – when things seem dark and scary, there is always hope.”