The cast is pretty good-looking which is an added bonus!

From November 17 to November 19 (Thursday through Saturday), the CU Players is presenting their adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L’Engle’s renowned children’s novel. Bwog Staffer Jennifer Nugent reviews the play. 

Last night at the Glicker-Milstein Theater (GMT, get it?) the Columbia University Players performed “A Wrinkle In Time.” As someone who read the Madeleine L’Engle book years ago, I can attest to the fact that this adaptation was as wonderfully particular as one might expect.

Before the play even began, audience members were greeted at the door by cupcakes for opening night! Inside the theater, the cast was milling about the seating area to chat and answer questions, while the stage managers figured out how many extra people from the waiting list could have seats (it was at least 8, so even if you don’t have a ticket, show up and see what happens!). The entire cast and crew were energetic and welcoming, which made for a great environment.

The play itself stayed very true to the book text-wise (thanks to Dramaturg Maddie Pages), but was very modern and minimalistic set-wise (thanks to Lhana Ormenyi, Bella Carriker, and the Craft and Build team). Throughout the play, the cast members stayed onstage and played active roles. The stage direction was wonderfully innovative, and the cast members made all of the sound effects themselves. Similarly, the interpretation of a movement through space and time was a fun, modern breakdance with hilarious improv and comedic movements.

The actors also continued their interaction with the audience throughout the play. Actors winked when allusions to the play’s title were made, took a question-and-answer break with the audience when a scene change required a little extra time, and brought people onstage to sing in the finale. These moments made the audience feel even more included in the show itself and created a very convivial atmosphere.

The cast was made up of only eight students: Yaël Cohen (CC’19), Rachel Cramer (BC’17), Maeve Duffy (BC’17), Rowan Hepps Keeney (BC’18), Rose Miriam (CC’19), Joey Santia (CC’17), Sofia Seidenberg (BC’19), and Schuyler Van Amson (CC’17), who were brilliantly directed by Talley Murphy (BC’17). Most cast members hopped with the blink of an eye into playing one character to the next. Yaël Cohen, for example, flawlessly played more than three characters throughout the show, ranging from the sweet Aunt Beast to a random excited lady giving a presentation. The majority of the cast played several characters as well, while only the three kids (Rachel Cramer as Meg, Joey Santia as Charles Wallace, and Rowan Hepps Keeney as Calvin) remained as their characters throughout the show (and killed it). The cast members all struck the perfect balance between the seriousness of the story, the inherent comedy of each character’s bizarre personality, and the endearing quirks of the characters they portrayed.

Overall it was a great show, with fun characters and a gregarious cast, and it’s only $5! There are two performances left: tonight and tomorrow (November 18 and 19), both at 8pm.

Photo via CU Players Presents: A Wrinkle In Time Facebook, taken by Michael Amen