The lights of the Wrigley Theatre dimmed and conversations among students and parents became quiet. I leaned back into my seat and observed the setting in front of me: dark, industrial, and sterile. The stage lighting brought into focus the unsettling scene, where the play’s title projected on the backdrop: “Machinal.” Latin’s annual fall play, performed Oct. 15-17, showcased months of hard work from the production’s talented cast and crew.
“Machinal,” written in 1928 by playwright Sophie Treadwell, tells the unnerving story of a young woman who is pressured into a loveless marriage with her boss, and period-typical gender roles force her to stay married despite years of dissatisfaction and the traumatic birth of the couple’s child. After having an affair, she spirals into insanity and kills her husband. The play comes to a close when the woman is put on trial for her husband’s murder, found guilty, and ultimately put to death.
The cast’s passionate performance succeeded in portraying the emotional weight of the script, particularly surrounding the protagonist. “She doesn’t have a lot of choices in life, it’s a lot of stress and unhappiness” said junior Keelyn Smey, who played the lead role and was recently named Artist of the Week.
Keelyn’s character highlights the struggles women faced—and still face—in their private and professional lives, such as pressure to adhere to societal norms. Despite being the lead role, the character is not given a name in the script. “I think it was intentional to show that [“Machinal”] could be anybody's story,” Keelyn said. “It's like, oh, well, it was [set] so long ago, but it really wasn’t that long ago, and it’s still kind of going on in different ways.”
The presentation of the difficult themes in “Machinal” required a special skillset from each actor. “Getting into character is hard, because [the performance] is very intense,” Keelyn said. “Especially in such a dark play, you’re looking for any reason to break out of that.”
Although actors were challenged to bring the themes of misogyny and mental struggles to the stage, “Machinal” presented an opportunity for growth. Senior Kelsey Riordan, who played the main character’s mother, said, “I love how this show challenged me to have a full stage presence and reactions to everything my scene partners did.”
In addition to what viewers see on stage, there is an entirely different but equally important role played by production members behind the curtain. The running crew’s emphasis on sound design provided a vital element that brought the haunting story to life. The sonic atmosphere—from the sound of a typewriter to an off-putting ticking noise heard throughout the show—left viewers on edge throughout the performance, enhancing the feelings of dread leading up to the main character’s fate.
Junior Theo Garino, who saw “Machinal” on its opening night, expressed admiration for the stagehands’ talent. He said, “I thought the props for the show were amazing, and [they] really transported me into the show.” One of the most striking props was a bloody wine bottle, which served as evidence in the young women’s murder trial.
The teamwork needed to bring the show from script to stage, especially with a production as dark as “Machinal,” created a tight bond between cast and crew. “I really like all of the people in the cast,” Keelyn said. “I can call just about all of them my friends, and it’s just a good community.”
The actors’ chemistry and their extensive training during productions like “Machinal” enable Latin’s theater department to explore difficult topics onstage. “It's a good way to communicate issues,” Keelyn said. “It’s supposed to make people uncomfortable.”
