New Intuitons play deals with life choices

Adam and Eve did not see the Berlin Wall fall in biblical times, but in Intuiton's new play the two witness this historical event. The Serpent, a play performed by the University's experimental theater group, opens tonight at Irvine Auditorium. The Serpent is based on the play by Jean Claude Van Itallie and tells the biblical story of Adam and Eve's fall from grace with a few twists. It encorporates a celebration of the life cycle and recent world events. College senior Carolyn Kelson, the play's director, said the story deals with choices. "The play is about choices and taking responsibility for them," she said. "Once you make your choice, you're in a new place. Everything you decide to do and everywhere you decide to go is affected by your first choice. You have to be happy and accept responsibility for your choices." The fall of the Berlin Wall and the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger are represented in the play, Kelson said. "These are ways you can apply the play to your own life," she said. "After the wall came down, nothing was the same. On that same note, we can't go back to the Garden of Eden." Intuitons, which was formed in 1980, uses a less linear, less mainstream approach, according to the play's producer, Allison Polin. "Experimental theater is theater of the Avante Garde," Polin, a College senior said. Leah Klerr, a College freshman, said, in experimental theater, everyone's input is considered. "There is a communal decision making process," Klerr, who plays a sheep, said. "Actors have a lot to say in what they do. College freshman Todd Shotz plays Adam in The Serpent. "It's a theatrical experience that I never had before," he said. "It is very movement oriented and deals with symbolic messages through body movements." During the play, the audience sits on the stage of Irvine Auditorium with the actors, according to Klerr. "The audience can really get into it," Klerr said. Another unique feature about the play is that there is no scenery, according to Polin. "The only unusual thing about the scenery is that there is no scenery," she said. There is a sound box on the stage, which is operated by a crew member. Christopher Campbell, a College senior and Intuitons Chairperson, said the play achieves its goal. "This year's play has the potential to be one of the best shows Intuitons has done in a few years," he said. "It meets its goal of exploring different kinds of theater and is very excessible to the audience. It's not just weirdness." The Serpent will be performed Octoberr 22-24 and 28-30. Tickets are available on Locust Walk or at the door for $5.

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