Last weekend marked the long-awaited premiere of Theater Roanoke College’s latest production, Machinal. I attended the opening performance, and I was blown away. I’m going to be handling some heavy themes, such as violence or mental illness, so please proceed with caution.
Machinal was written in 1928, inspired by a real murder trial from the previous year. The production centers on a young woman working in an office. She marries the boss of her company, even though his touch clearly repulses her. Soon after, she has a daughter with him. Then she meets another man, whom she falls in love and has an affair with. The man describes a time where he killed someone with a bottle filled with stones, and it gives the young woman an idea. She murders her husband, faces trial, and ends up being executed by electric chair after being found guilty of the crime at her trial.
Throughout the entire production, a metronome was constantly ticking at varying speeds, except for during the affair scene, when it was silent. It was a bit overstimulating, but lent a really cool effect to the play. Several scenes of the production revolved around people – mostly women – being forced into different roles and positions against their better judgment. Demands were amplified with a voice tuner, which sent shivers down my spine. The atmosphere was entirely uncomfortable and almost creepy, which I believe is exactly the kind of vibe they were going for. The moving parts on the main set piece were impressive, and the electric chair prop was awesome. The actors were also absolutely incredible with their line delivery and passion in their actions. My favorite aspect, however, was the costumes. Almost every single character wore a gray mask covering their entire head, effectively marking them as almost part of the background of the story. The only two people to not have a mask were the young woman and her lover… but at the end of the play, when his letter betrays her, he puts on a mask as well.
I really enjoyed Machinal! Great job to the cast and crew of the production!
Ren Monin
Staff Writer
