Pegasus' a thought provoking student production

Posted by Megan Teehan

The play "Pegasus, " written by Sam Kahler '11 and directed by Illana Saltzman '11, had its three show run from Oct. 13-15, and left some audience members scratching their heads in confusion.

Included in the cast were Richard Bastuck '13 as the Priest/Cruise Ship Director, Nicole Dancel '13 as the alchemist/nurse, Megan Hennessey '14 as Rhodedendron/Vitner and Beth Svenningsen '13 as the midwife/doctor.

The plot is centered on the characters of Lance, Peg and Arlo, played by Xavier Richard '12, Torey Bonnington '11 and Mike Axelrod '11 respectively. These main characters form the basis of the play through their struggles with reality.

Lance battles with the uncertainty of his relationship with Peg because he feels more ready to settle down than she does. Peg bears the burden of her secret pregnancy and the uncertainty of her feelings. Arlo fails to come to terms with the fact that his prime years are over and in his frail state he is incapable of doing the things he always dreamed of, such as taking a cruise around the world.

The internal conflicts that all the characters feel and suppress for the sake of the others come to surface in their subconscious. We witness the characters grappling with these issues in a dream state with the help of fictional characters like the Priest and Rhodedendron, who appear to all three of the characters.

The acting was excellent and the three protagonists were heartrending in the raw honesty of their portrayals. The set was minimal, but conducive to the unusual structure of the play and the subdued lighting perfectly complemented the surreal feeling of the play.

Simply describing the plot points of the play does an injustice to the heart of the show itself. This isn't a play to be defined or to "get." "Pegasus" is an exploration of characters' psyches and the abstract idea of what is really "real."

The play leaves us unsure of the characters' futures although we've learned their innermost fears and desires. In this way, "Pegasus" stays true to something playwright Sam Kahler wrote in the playbill notes. "Pegasus is still evolving, yet to be defined. Maybe we aren't looking for answers. Only more questions," Kahler said.