It’s an exciting time for the Wittenberg theatre community, with spring productions in full swing. Two such plays, "Witch" and "No Exit," were held in February.
Written by Jen Silverman, "Witch" is a modern adaptation of the Jacobean drama "The Witch of Edmonton," originally published in 1692. Here is a brief summary of the play:
In the sleepy village of Edmonton, a suave devil arrives in the form of a salesman named Scratch. His only goal is to buy the souls of its residents in exchange for their darkest wishes. Elizabeth, a lonely, outcast woman who, for seemingly no reason, has been labeled a “witch,” should be his easiest target. But her soul is not so eagerly bought.
Sharifa Yazmeen is this semester's guest director, and she too is putting her own spin on this fable. Here are some edited excerpts from the interview.
What made you choose to direct "Witch"?
Yazmeen: A huge part of that was Kaiti. (Kaiti Wenzel is performing as Scratch, "Witch" being their senior capstone project.) I know what it was like in undergrad to not have roles for me as a TGNC (transgender and gender nonconforming) person and when we were talking about plays for Kaiti it was really important that we found something that was exciting for them and could be an exciting take on gender. "Witch" is an entire play about breaking binaries and so it seemed like the perfect match, especially as a trans woman.
To you, what is the message that "Witch" is conveying or what should the audience take away from it?
Yazmeen: That it shouldn’t be scary to burn everything down to rebuild it again. Especially in our current time and how much discrimination and corruption is embedded in every culture. The only way that we can start anew is to begin from something new.
When you first began the rehearsal process, or even before that, when you first started coming up with ideas, what was your vision for the show?
Yazmeen: My concept for the show was to personify the metaphor of what does it mean to live within a very strict, rigid society so that we can see how oppressing it is for people to live within that rigid structure and how powerful it is when you break it.
What does "Witch" mean to you, on a personal level?
Yazmeen: "Witch," to me, I think is such a powerful play at this point in time because it is so relevant, and I think what the playwright is attempting to do is show how it’s always been relevant. Whenever we live in societies in which there are people who are designated to be at the top, that means that they cannot be at the top without someone being at the bottom.
The first of the student lab productions this semester is "No Exit," an existentialist play written by Jean-Paul Sartre. Three damned souls are trapped in a room together for eternity. Try as they might, they cannot escape the room, and instead of torture devices, their hell is revealed to be each other’s company. Student director Dawson Hudson, class of 2026, provides his take on the play.
“No Exit" focuses on so many elements of life,” Hudson said. “It’s a cautionary tale of what happens when we allow ourselves to crumble and be molded by the standards of society. Jean-Paul Sartre explains we have so much freedom it’s terrifying. In order to grow we must crack our hearts open, suffer, and make the decisions that are ultimately right but difficult.”
“I hope when watching this show you grow and learn from it," Hudson continued. "Think of our own lives and what suffering or hard decisions we must make to grow every single day into someone we can constantly be proud of.”
If you want to learn more about the director of "Witch," you can find Sharifa Yazmeen on Instagram at sharifa_yaz. You can also keep up with Dawson Hudson on Instagram at hudson.dawson. "Witch" was held in the Chakeres Memorial Theatre from February 13-16. "No Exit" ran February 22-25 at the Lab Theatre. Tickets and directions to future shows can be found on the Wittenberg Theatre and Dance website.
