Love, deceit, passion and a little sexual content graced MSU’s Bea Wood Studio Theatre last week.
Under the direction of Brandon Smith, the theatre department gave an excellent production of Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things.
This unconventional play only has four characters, but the small cast did not lack in content. Much like MSU, it is set in a small university town.
The setting itself draws in the student population. A relatable setting like this allows the audience to put themselves in the character’s shoes.
The play sends the audience on a whirlwind of events.
There is a reoccurring quest to find what constitutes as art and people’s willingness to do things for love.
The focus is on two characters whose relationship is built on a lie. The catch?
Only one person is in on the lie.
Evelyn, played by Morgan Burkey, is an eccentric, pretty and kind of quirky art student.
She takes interest in a not-so-attractive English major, Adam, who is played by Ryan Moore.
Evelyn indulges herself in the relationship between her and Adam.
Like any guy would be, Adam is flattered by Evelyn’s interest in him.
Evelyn begins to use the trust and bond she’s gained with Adam to manipulate him into changing his life.
From quitting his habit of nail biting to getting a nose job, Evelyn manages to control his life.
She even finds a way to convince him to lose his closest friends Jenny and Phillip who were well played by Kaci Brown and Marcus Jones.
Ultimately, she believes she has turned Adam into the “perfect” guy.
In the end, Adam finds out he has been a part of Evelyn’s MFA thesis project in which she was instructed to change the world by her graduate advisor.
Instead Evelyn chooses to change someone else’s world making Adam her piece of work. She created a human sculpture.
After all the heartache is said and done, Adam is left alone and heartbroken.
The impeccable acting kept me heavily invested in the characters and I found myself feeling sympathetic towards Adam and irritated with Evelyn.
The play was an excellent representation of today’s society and should make you think twice about what you would do for love.
A quick question • Apr 25, 2012 at 12:04 AM
Beside my opinion that you don’t know what constitutes good acting, I’m curious about something. What was the point of this article? If this is a review I must say you need to take another writing course. This was a summary. There are a total of 3 sentences that give very general opinions on the play. Is the Wichitan going to start writing sparknotes summaries for students? Either claim it as a summary with a spoiler alert or learn how to write a real review.