'Madwoman of Chaillot' on stage Oct. 13-22

Augustana College will present the comedic fable "The Madwoman of Chaillot," at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 13, 14, 20, 21; and at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 15, 22 in the Brunner Theater Center.

In "The Madwoman of Chaillot," an eccentric woman in Paris and her allies struggle against evil men who seek only wealth and power. The play by French dramatist Jean Giraudoux was written in 1943 and first performed in 1945.

The play is set in the Chaillot district of Paris, where Countess Aurelia, the harmless "madwoman" sees the world as happy and beautiful until learning about plans to ruin Paris to drill for oil. She gets the help of her fellow outcasts  in her fight.

“The show is a comedic fable that illustrates the struggle between the haves and the have nots — something we see reflected in in the socio-political climate in which we find ourselves today,” commented director Jeff Coussens.

“As a department, we strive to expose students to different styles, genres and time periods. The piece is surrealistic in style, something which our students do not often have the opportunity to perform/explore.

“As a growing department, we also wanted to find a way to showcase the depth of talent here at Augustana,” he said. “With a total cast of 28 and a large backstage crew working on sets, costumes and lighting, this is one of the largest productions we have put onstage in the recent past.”

Augustana students in the cast include Shyan DeVoss ’20, Katie Griswold ’20, Katie Kleve ’20, Emily Mason ’19, Madison Mortenson ’18, Keenan Odenkirk ’18 and Jaryd Whitmore ’19.

Samantha Flipp ’20 and Melina Herman ’20 serve as stage manager and assistant stage manager, respectively. Andy Gutshall serves as scenic and lighting designer and technical director, and Ellen Dixon is the costume designer.

The New York Drama Critics' Circle hailed an early production as "pure gold, with no base metal" and having "an enveloping and irresistible humor."

Tickets are $11; or $9 for senior citizens, students and Augustana faculty/staff, and children ages 12 and under.Free for Augustana students with ID. Tickets can be purchased at the Augustana Ticket Office, by calling 309-794-7306 or online.