When audience members entered the theatre, actors clad in Renaissance style clothing and colonial accents promptly greeted them.
These actors and actresses stood at the entrance ceremoniously like guards and handed them their programs and the ‘Nottingham Tattler,’ a faux gossip column about characters in the play. This delightful treat was part of the vision that director Bob Gonzalez had for his Production of ‘A New Way to Pay Old Debts,’ written by Phillip Massinger.
‘I really wanted to get the audience into the world of these characters because I know there is a (time) gap and I wanted to bridge that gap for a 21st Century Audience,’ explained Gonzales.
The visionary director wanted to break the fourth wall and incorporate elements to set the tone. As for the actual play, it was an amazing treat, ‘Renailicous’ if you will. The plot involved many characters that were all tangled up in various schemes to deceive one another.
The acting in this production was profound. Eric Sigler, junior and theater major, played Sir Giles Overreach, the antagonist of the production.
Sigler, who played the evil villain squared, threatened the life of a priest, slapped the Justice of Peace conned protagonist Frank Wellborn, played by Adam Carson, out of his money and topped it off by holding a sword to his own daughter’s throat. His portrayal and delivery sent chills down the spine.
‘He is a very cruel extortionist, pirate of a man’, explained Sigler, ‘ I heard the audience gasp when I was being especially evil,’ as they very well did.
Another crowed favorite was Justice of Peace Greedy, played by Meredith Payne, another junior theater major. Her character, whose name should say it all, had chronic hunger issues and could bring any situation back to food. Her portrayal of the sly and hungry Justice of Peace was very well received.
Another great component of this show was how well freshman and new actors performed.
Freshman Rodner Salgado portrayed Jack Marall who ‘marred all’ put on a wonderful performance. One might have thought that he was plucked right off the streets of some past world.
Adam Corson, freshman, played the lead Frank Wellborn with ease and grace.
Tanner White, junior as well as only non-theater major lead, played Tom Allworth and drew many laughs from the crowd as his character deceived the evil Sir Giles by getting him to sign a contract allowing his character to secretly marry his daughter.
From the leads down to the very last guard and cook, this production had every element of a great production. Subtle touches that the director put in had the audience already excited for the play before the first line was ever delivered.
‘A New way to Pay Old Debts’ was not only economically friendly (although it wouldn’t be advised to earn money by stealing from orphans in classic Sir Giles style) was a great taste of play writing from the past.
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