See What the Xperimental Theatre is All About with ExitNOExit
February 25th, 2004
By Archived Story
As an integral part of our community, theater is known for going to limitless heights to keep every type of audience on the edge of their seat. The Xperimental Theatre, located in the basement of The Rarig Center at the University of Minnesota, is by no means an exception to this standard. The X, as it is fondly referred to as, is a place for students from any and every department to satisfy all of their creative desires. Students submit their theatrical visions to the X Board, an elected group of students that creates an impressive line up for the year to come.
To the student wary about entering the theater scene whether on or off stage, House/Stage Management Supervisor Amanda Zercher encourages participation by all: the X “gives students experience and a place to try. The X is a place for students to dabble in different areas.”
“It gives you the opportunity to suck and learn,” says Publicity Director Elliot Durko Lynch. “It helped me to become socially able. You bring what you bring and the best comes out of it.”
If you’re one of those that are concerned about the stereotype of touchy-feely theater students, Scenery/Props T.A. Dave Jennings has the remedy: “The Theater Department is a crazy random group of people that act like a pseudo-family, it’s though the entire theater department is a bunch of bastard children leaning on each other.”
All shows are FREE, but reservations are required.
To see this creative beast in action, you are invited to feast your eyes upon the Xperimental Theatre’s upcoming production of ExitNOExit by Jean Paul Sartre. With a live band onstage at all times and several TVs to serve your multimedia interest, this play has plenty to offer no matter what your area of interest.
Director Jeremey Catterton “was outraged by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which constructed more prisons instead of rehabilitating prisoners and took money away from educational programs.” Catterton funneled his outrage into a metaphor through ExitNOExit. This existential drama embodies the idea that “hell is others.” The ensemble cast of five characterizes three offenders torturing each other, while simultaneously torturing themselves at the hellish Ghost with Minimum Security Prison.
