Laurel and Ella Greenway with UL Theatre, stopped by First at Four to share the details on their upcoming production of UBU: A COUP D’ETAT SHEE-IT STORY.
Laurel and Ella Greenway with UL Theatre, stopped by First at Four to share the details on their upcoming production of UBU: A COUP D’ETAT SHEE-IT STORY.
This November, UL Theatre is thrilled to present the infamous French play Ubu Roi by the revolutionary absurdist Alfred Jarry. Ubu tells the tale of a conniving military officer, Papa Ubu, who is convinced by his wife to lead a coup against his king to steal the Polish crown.
Though the plot draws heavily on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Jarry writes not in the realm of tragedy, but in surreal, grotesque comedy. As the Ubus are revealed to be petty, impulsive, and unscrupulous, the play shines a spotlight on the aspects of human nature that, perhaps, we would all rather hide. Famous for its profane first line of dialogue, the play caused a riot on its opening night at Théâtre de l'Œuvre (today the Théâtre de Paris) in 1896. The bizarre comedy left audiences scandalized and baffled, and Jarry’s dramatic style led directly to the Dadaist,
Surrealist, and Absurdist movements of the 20th Century.
Oscar Wilde once reviewed Ubu by giggling, “the gist of the piece is that during the five acts everyone says ‘shit’ to everyone else, for no apparent reason.” But international guest director Dayane Mounsib says Wilde is only half right. “I am so invested in the political message,” she says. “What Jarry does is put the audience in front of everything nasty about what is human. What he’s telling you is right is always going to rise up against wrong– which is still relevant today.”
Mounsib is an Italian stage director and theatre practitioner in residence at UL Theatre this academic year. The program is delighted to have her with us from Rome as an extension of UL’s new PFAR Rome Training Initiative, which saw her collaborate professionally with our BFA students on the Italian premiere of Peter and the Starcatcher this past summer. Ms. Mounsib began her journey studying theatre at a very young age. Her expertise focuses on direction, Stanislavski's method, and Jaques Lecoq's technique. She studied in England, Scotland, and Italy, where she refined her technique at the Accademia Internazionale di Teatrio in Rome. She is the director of the theater company ParadoXa Teatro, curating shows that have won European funds and focus on a more grotesque and absurd repertoire. A dedicated teacher of acting, Dayane's pedagogy is centered on Lecoq's clown, physical theater, and grotesque acting styles. This production marks the second time Mounsib has directed Ubu, as she helmed a celebrated production at Rome’s Teatro Villa Pamphilj in 2021.
The UL adaptation bears the original title Ubu: A Coup D’etat Shee-it Story, and preserves much of Jarry’s original, but is molded to Mounsib’s training, experience, and audience.
“There are many messages here,” Mounsib says. “For the audience, what I want to say is sometimes you have to face the ugly to get to the other side to understand the beauty. And always, always, always fight for what's right.”
The cast features BFA acting candidates Nick Mackowiak (Papa Ubu), Ryan Kolb (Mama Ubu), Tucker Dufrene (Captain Bordure), Ella Greenway (Burgeslas), Lunel Bourdier (King Wenceslas), Laurel Greenway (Queen Rosemonde), Gavin Broussard (Pile), Benjamin Dupre (Stanislas), Alyssa Eames (Witch 1), Brooke Murphy (Witch 2), Laila Jordan (Witch 3), and Chance Blunt, Jada Brown, and Gabe Gremillion (Various Characters). The student actors are joined by Theatre programs alums John St. Clair (Tsar Alex) and Logan Hudson (Various Characters).
Alongside guest director Dayane Mounsib, the design team is led by PFAR Head of Tech and Design Marty Aikens, who is spearheading designs for set, lights, projections, and sound. Marty is joined by Assistant Professor of Costume Design Suellen Coelho, as well as Liam Gardner, who has recently joined the PFAR team as the Scenic Shop Coordinator and by Costume Shop Manager and program alum Jax Cornett. BFA directing candidate Pollen Eaton will stage manage this wonderfully unique production.
Ubu: A Coup D’etat Shee-it Story opens on Wednesday, November 6th at 8:00 PM, and runs the 8th, 9th, and 10th in the evening, with a matinee show on the 9th at 2:00 PM, and a press performance on Tuesday, November 5th. The production will be staged under the stars in the Fletcher Hall Courtyard on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Tickets are $20 general admission and $15 for students and seniors 65+ with ID. All UL students, faculty and staff enjoy complimentary admission with a current UL ID. For more information or to reserve tickets visit ulheatreanddance.com. The show features crude language, swearing, and
cartoon violence.
The Performing Arts program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette produces work in collaboration with professional artists from across the country and the world. PFAR Theatre strives to instill in its students the discipline, technique, and dispositions expected in the world of professional theatre. The program seeks students who are self-disciplined, passionate about the arts, and committed to giving their best in the classroom as well as in production.
