The Liar
by David Ives
Directed by Lauren Bone Noble
Presented by the University of Mississippi Department of Theatre and Film,
Meek Hall Auditorium, September 22-October 8, 2023.
The department requested that I play the role of Geronte under the direction of my colleague, Lauren Bone Noble. I entered the project with a few main goals in mind. The first was to provide a model of professional behavior on stage and back stage for the student actors. I tried to model discipline and preparation, management of energy and focus, and fully-embodied performance.
In terms of playing the part, I wanted to give Geronte some depth and make him more than comic relief or a plot device. He, too, has a journey of discovery in the play, it is not just the principals. I wanted to be sure that my reaction to Dorante’s betrayal—“You’ve shown a loving father neither fear, respect, nor love!”—conveyed true heartbreak. It could be merely shouting, but an audience deserves more than that.
As the external reviewer, Professor George Judy, noted, “Given the solid grounding in authentic life this work could become more imaginative and bolder, but it was a professional creation that would play on any of our regional theatre stages and a good model for students.”
You may read his full review here, which contains additional comments on my work and the production overall.
