January 31, 2008

Purdue Theatre to present romantic comedy 'The Underpants'

Scene from "The Underpants"
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Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14-16; at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17; at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21-22; at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23 and at 3 p.m. Feb. 24.

"The setting is Dusseldorf, Germany, in 1910," said Russ Jones, Division of Theatre chair. "A young housewife's underpants fall down as the king's parade passes, attracting the attention of two men who become infatuated with her as a result. Their amorous intentions are in contrast to the wrath of her husband over the incident. They become renters of a room in her house and secretly woo her. She grows to like the attention, but also grows in the power and knowledge of her femininity. Steve Martin has once again given us a serious message wrapped in high comedy."

A special "Preview for Lovers" show of "The Underpants" will be offered at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 in honor of Valentine's Day, Jones said.

"Since the show is a comedy about love and infatuation, it only seems appropriate," he said. "Tickets for the Valentine's Day preview are $6, and seating is general admission. We hope this will be a perfect complement for couples who are looking for an affordable and entertaining evening."

Richard Sullivan Lee, associate professor of theater and director for "The Underpants," said he was immediately drawn to the play.

"When Steve Martin was asked to do an adaptation of this work by Sternheim, he asked the name of the play," Lee said. "When told it was called 'The Underpants,' he said, 'I like the title.' I feel the same way as director. The title is irresistible, and so is the play. What's not to like about a farcical story of wardrobe malfunction and the resulting 15 minutes of fame?

"'The Underpants' says a lot about our society and our fixation to the point of voyeurism on people who are in the spotlight, and the part scandal often plays in putting them there. Just think of Britney Spears and the media attention she has received over her peccadilloes in recent years."

Dawn Glover, a first-year master of fine arts student in acting, plays the housewife, Louise.

"She is happily confined to her role as a housewife and rarely leaves her house, although she would like to have more attention from her husband," Glover said. "After her underpants fall, she becomes the center of attention and begins to feel that perhaps she is in a cage. Wearing a corset on-stage for two hours feels like a cage to me. I am so thankful we are over the corset phase of fashion."

For first-year graduate student Heeyoung Son, this is her first set design project.

"The housewife, Louise, is very fond of the canary she keeps in a cage in her sitting room, and that birdcage becomes the metaphor for the voyeurism in the play," Son said. "The rafters and beams of the set are designed to suggest the larger birdcage that Louise is kept in. The illustration of a village street scene is slanted in perspective to make it seem like the outside world is looking into the house."

Master of fine arts student Shelby Newport did the costume design for "The Underpants," and she also designed the costumes for "The Women of Troy."

"I wanted to emphasize the farcical nature or silliness of the subject matter by creating characters pulled out of research from 1910 fashion and traditional German costumes," Newport said. "Each character has a quirkiness all their own, and the costumes are full of fun personal touches."

Lighting design for "The Underpants" provided a challenge of a different kind for Michael McNamara, assistant professor and light designer for the show.

"As a light designer, I would love to say that lighting is the most critical element of a production, but there are certain styles of shows where lighting needs take a back seat to other design elements in the interest of the production as a whole," he said. "A farce such as 'The Underpants' is just such a piece. The lighting scheme serves more as a frame than as one of the performers. Here the lighting needs to provide mood and accents to the significant visual design details of the costumes and scenery while adding sufficient visibility and occasional introspection to the broad characters of the play."

"The Underpants" has a run time of approximately two hours and features suggestive language and humor in typical Steve Martin fashion, Jones said.

Admission for the Feb. 14 preview is $6 general admission. All other shows are $17 for the general public, $13 for seniors 62 years of age and older, and $10 for students. Tickets are available at the Stewart Center, Elliott and Yue-Kong Pao Hall box offices or by calling (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW.

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Sources: Russ Jones, (765) 494-3081, russjones@purdue.edu

Richard Sullivan Lee, (765) 494-3078, rslee@purdue.edu

David Lageveen, director of marketing and donor relations for Purdue Theatre, (765) 494-3084, lageveen@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Cutline: Louise (Dawn Glover) is wooed by the poet Versati (Ryan Pratt) in the Steve Martin adaption of "The Underpants," a 1910 play written by German playwright Carl Sternheim. Louise is a housewife whose underpants fall down as the King’s parade passes, provoking the consternation of her husband, but attracting the attention of would-be suitors. (Photo provided by Purdue Theatre)

Note to Journalists: Photographers are invited to take photos at a rehearsal at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11. To make arrangements, contact David Lageveen, Purdue Theatre director of marketing and donor relations, (765) 494-3084, or lageveen@purdue.edu. There also will be a special "Preview for Lovers" performance of "The Underpants" at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14, Valentine's Day.

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