Tomorrow will be the opening of Georges Feydeau’s “Hotel Paradiso,” directed by John Seibert. This French farce was written in 1894 and addresses the ever-comedic subject of marriage.
The audience can look forward to a story of couples trying to have affairs both in and out of their social class. When describing the setup of a farce, Seibert always tells a person to look out for multiple doors. This can be seen in the Scooby Doo cartoon moments where characters pop in and out of hidden spaces and doors.
“We have added moments in the script that may not be there. Faydeu was known for tweaking with his actors to make it work—he was an actor, director, writer and improviser,” Seibert said.
This show is one of the most presented in this country. However, it is rare for big theaters to do this production, because it is a 3-act script.
Three-act farces are so expensive to run they are generally produced by non-professional theaters.
“This show was suggested to me by Ken Stevens who is the director of theater,” Seibert said. “I directed ‘Noises Off’ and he thought I might be a good fit. I thought it would be fun to do a big three act.”
“The best part about being in “Hotel Paradiso” is working with John Seibert throughout this production,” freshman Derek Ridge said. “He has constantly given 110 percent. He works hard with a keen eye for the stage, and yet so fun to work with.”
An interesting aspect to this play is the chorus moments. This type of audience interaction is not seen much anymore. This technique is popular in old classics such as “EveryMan” and “Oedipus.”
Normally Feydeau would rehearse for months at a time so the actors would get the right hand gestures and facial expression. Unlike Feydeau, Seibert only had one month to put this show together and to get the timing and facial gestures right.
It is important to make sure the actors do not seem too forced, even though it is a farce. Unlike other styles, with a farce the plot is more important then the character. However, by no means should the character be weak.
“I want the audience to enjoy every moment we give them. “Hotel Paradiso” provides so many situations and jokes to laugh at that you can’t get anywhere else,” junior Sarah Leahy said. “If you can’t go more than five minutes without cracking up, we have done our job.”
The production of “Hotel Paradiso” will run at the Quirk theatre through Saturday, March 27. Tickets are $12 for students and $15 for non-students. For more specific information on the dates and times of the shows, visit http://www.emich.edu/emutheatre/mainstage.html.