Word: strephon
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...operetta, the fairy Iolanthe (Bridget Haile ’11) has been banished from fairyland for the awful crime of marrying the Lord Chancellor, a mortal. Her half-fairy son, Strephon (Aseem A. Shukla ’11), falls in love with the beautiful Phyllis (Anna Ward), the ward of the Lord Chancellor (Matthew C. Stone ’11). But the Lord Chancellor will not consent to their marriage because he, as well as many in the House of Peers—a satirical portrayal of British Parliament—are in love with Phyllis. After the fairy queen...
...slightly smaller production,” he says. “We decided to do it in the fall this year. One reason is political relevance; it’s something that’s really compelling.”This political message is conveyed through the story of Strephon, a young shepherd and the son of the immortal fairy Iolanthe. When his love, Phyllis, sees him embracing the perpetually youthful Iolanthe, she assumes him to be unfaithful. With the help of the fairies, the shepherd must win her back while keeping her away from eager pursuers in Parliament...
...clutter the stage. The branchlike or possibly rootlike structure at the rear right of the stage, as well as the green chicken-wire arranged around the exits, are equally puzzling. They do contribute a sense of the outdoors and pastoral life that would be associated with the shepherd Strephon, but since they are constantly on stage, including during the scenes that take place within the House of Lords, the effect is rather dispersed...
...playing the two young lovers, are cheerfully blithe and unconcerned at everything, including their own love (“If we’re weak enough to tarry / Ere we marry / You and I / Of the feeling I inspire / You may tire/ By and by,” sings Strephon, as an explanation for why he has braved death to marry Phyllis...
...Amanda M. Gann ’06, is another standout feature of this production. Some of the moves are dubious (Private Willis attempts to dance the Macarena to his solo), but most are strong, like the comically half-hearted and self-conscious dance leaps by the Lord Chancellor and Strephon, the Lord Chancellor’s fluidly shifting nightmare scenarios, or the tensely balanced face-off between the Lords and the fairies in the House of Parliament...