Student actors show off comedic skills in ‘The Liar’

Love, lies and laughs.

That’s what to expect from the Theatre Department’s production of The Liar, opening Friday, Feb. 23.

“It’s a great mirror of life,” said Liz Sierra, a junior theatre major. “It has a balance of love and drama and comedy.”

The Liar, directed by Theatre Professor Tom Kremer, unravels a web of mistaken identities and lies with hilarity at 8 p.m. Feb. 23-24, 28 and March 1 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 24 in Watters Theater. Tickets are $18 for general admission; $16 for alumni/faculty/senior/staff; $10 for students. Student tickets are $5 on opening night. Faculty/staff tickets are $10 for the Feb. 28 show.

The 17th-century comedy follows Dorante, a man incapable of telling the truth, falling for Clarice, but believing her name to be Lucrece. Dorante tells fabrication after fabrication to manipulate the other characters and get the girl – or who he believes to be the girl.

These are themes that, as it turns out, aren’t confined to the 1600s.

“The fact that it’s a 17th-century comedy actually means very little. It is a play called The Liar, and it’s about lying, which of course is painfully prevalent in our society right at this moment,” Kremer said. “We still have the same desires, the same dislikes. It’s just that in the 17th century they lived under different rules and regulations. But they were just like us.”

The universality of the conflict in The Liar was just as important to the actors as they fleshed out their characters.

“I want [the audience] to be confident and believe that they can relate to the characters on stage, even if we’re wearing big puffy dresses or have swords on our hips,” said Sierra, who plays Lucrece. “I think that’s one of the biggest gems in theater: that someone who was born in 1997 can do a play from the 1600s, because it’s universal.”

Much of the original play written by Pierre Corneille has been adapted by modern playwright David Ives to include anachronisms from the present day, such as references to cell phones. The humor, however, is perhaps the most universal theme in The Liar.

“I was surprised at how many jokes there were,” said Charles Meckley, a sophomore theatre major. “I’m impressed with, especially, Tom’s ability to pull a joke out of nowhere.”

For Sierra, cracking jokes on stage was a new acting experience.

“I’ve never worked on a comedic play before. I’ve always done drama,” Sierra said. “There’s not really a difference between drama and humor, because the stakes are just as high. But the thing with humor is that sometimes Liz the actor doesn’t take it seriously — cause it’s funny!”

Through practice, Sierra became comfortable with flexing her comedic muscle.

“One night in rehearsal I found myself actually diving into my character on a different level, while still being funny on stage,” Sierra said. “I was able to not crack. I was able to stay connected. By far that’s one of my favorite memories — being able to learn how to invest more, even if it’s funny.”

In classic 17th-century fashion, the characters in The Liar frequently involve the audience in the fun. In this play, until the very end, only the audience knows the truth.

“Every character in the play thinks the audience is on their side and believes what they’re saying,” Kremer said.

The play is in verse, which means the actors speak in pentameter.

“The whole play rhymes. The whole thing is a song, if you put a beat to it, ” Sierra said. “I think that’s one thing that audience members have to be wary of, so that they can dive into the story instead of getting messed up with how it sounds.”

In a cast of eight, the language is as important as a ninth character, said Meckley, who plays Alcippe. But Meckley and Robert Edwards, a junior theatre major who plays Cliton, encouraged theater novices and pros alike to not be intimidated.

“When I first heard that the show is in verse, I automatically connected it to Shakespeare. If you get past that, it’s completely understandable,” Edwards said. “If we’re doing our job right, you’ll know exactly what’s going on in the story.”

Most of all, The Liar is about laughing.

“I want the audience to come and see how much fun we’re having, and let that transfer into their lives,” Edwards said. “The situations are serious, but you can still have fun and enjoy yourself.”