There’s a lot happening In the Next Room, and it might shock you.
Better known as The Vibrator Play, Sarah Ruhl’s Tony-nominated comedy is very close to curtain at Yulman Theatre.
Set in the late 1800s, just after the invention of electricity, the show follows Dr. Givings, a physician who specializes in treating “female hysteria.”
While the doctor’s personal life may seem in order, his wife Catherine, played by Robyn Belt ’14, manages to be sunny and energetic while unable to provide motherly sustenance for their newborn child.
Still, the show is a comedy, so the serious moments don’t overshadow the humor. “I love the interactions between Mrs. Givings and Mrs. Daldry,” Belt said. “They’re two women who really egg each other on.”
Unlike her co-star, Misty Bragg ’12 had some concerns about her role, “It’s a little intimidating,” Bragg said, referring specifically the scenes in which her character (Sabrina Daldry) is “treated” for “hysteria.”
While she won’t make any major changes to her normal pre-show routine, she did mention the need to warm up her voice more than usual, “The sexuality in the show is really about empowerment.”
Both Belt and Bragg hope the student body and faculty aren’t putt off by the play’s content. There’s a great deal in the show about women’s medicine through history and “a really great love story at the center of the show,” according to Belt.
When asked to explain his decision to stage a show with a plot that is not so tame, director Bill Finlay said, “[The Vibrator Play] is the third-most produced show this season.”
Schools including the University of Cincinnati and Indiana University-Bloomington are also directing productions, as the show’s small cast allows it to make its way through the college theatre circuit.
Finlay added that the show is interesting and humorous, noting his lack of concerns about directing it. Though the fact that he directed last year’s Dead Man’s Cell Phone, also penned by Ruhl, certainly helps.
“It shows the appreciation of the level of theatre Union does, as well as the maturity of our actors,” added stage manager Lizzie Cohen ’13.
In the Next Room opens next week on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 pm and runs through Saturday, Nov. 12,. There will also be a matinee performance on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 2 pm.
Tickets are already on sale, so be sure to get them before they sell out!
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