An one hundred three-year-old organization, Wig and Candle continues to harbor a strong following among students, producing and developing live theater just as it did at the dawn of the twentieth century. Today, its original mission remains the same: to produce and develop works that, when cast under the theatrical spotlight, bring joy and relevance to the student body. However, no organization as old as this has existed without change, so what does the present and future hold for Wig and Candle?
I spoke with the group’s Artistic Director and Co-President Julia Hutton ‘19 to learn more about this semester’s theater scene and how Wig and Candle plans to adapt in light of recent changes on campus that include a renovation of Palmer Auditorium.
Wig and Candle began its 2018-2019 season on Sept. 21, with the play 4 Monkeys and A Banana written by Margaret Condon ‘21 and directed by Christopher Thompson ‘21. This play deals with the psychological effects of an interstellar crisis. It is a science fiction thriller, with a very Twilight Zone-esque vibe.
Hutton herself directs the upcoming production of Art, a piece that was originally written in French by playwright Yasmina Reza. It is being performed on Oct. 26th and 28th. According to an article by Michael Billington in The Guardian, titled “Blank Canvas: The Enduring Appeal of Yasmina Reza’s Art,” this show, which opened in London in the late ‘90s, transferred to New York where it won the Tony Award for best play. Twenty years later, Hutton believes its humor remains timeless. She summarizes the production as “a fun little satirical piece commenting on material culture and the middle class.” She believes that students will be able relate to its themes of friendship as well as delight in its hilarity. She’s also added her own twist on the piece, using an all female cast instead of the script’s call for a trio of men.
For its winter production, Wig and Candle has something huge planned. The organization will be presenting the hit Pulitzer-Prize-winning Next to Normal, a rock musical sensation that centers around a suburban family’s struggle to adapt to a mother’s battle with bipolar disorder. This will open on Nov. 30, and from Hutton’s point of view, the production couldn’t have come at a better time:
“The senior class that just graduated really had a big impact on the whole theater scene, both in the department and Wig and Candle. We have really felt their absence.”
However, auditions for Next to Normal still attracted a good number of students. “We had no problem casting it,” Hutton adds, stating that the name recognition and allure of the musical “makes an opportunity for us to be able to recruit more first years and get them involved.”
She does harbor some concerns about general attendance though. Without the class of 2018, whose members often attended its performances, the club worries its audiences will shrink. However, students in the theater department at Connecticut College have historically been nothing if not supportive. “You’re either involved in a show” she explains, or “you’re seeing it because you know people in it that you care about”.
The organization also faces another potential threat, one a bit farther off, but bound to affect it all the same. As President Katherine Bergeron announced at the end of last semester, Palmer Auditorium and neighboring Castle Court will be receiving a $20 million makeover. This change is destined to revolutionize theater on campus and invest in the future of the department, which is undoubtedly grateful for the upgrade. As wonderful as this news was for future theater students when it broke, the leadership of Wig & Candle became concerned that this new space would not include a practice area for the club to rehearse and perform in (Wig and Candle regularly uses Palmer 202, the small classroom and black box theater located above the auditorium’s main stage).
Leaders created a Google Forms-based petition addressed to Bergeron and Vice-President of Finance and Administration Richard Madonna to raise awareness about the organization’s plight. The petition, circulated via Facebook and other social media websites, stated the club’s reliance on Palmer 202, explaining: “a space like [Palmer] 202 is not just desired, it is essential. Spaces like Oliva Hall are appreciated and used, but without a dedicated lab space, our growing student theater is effectively homeless.”
In a recent interview with the Voice about the petition, Madonna claimed Wig and Candle has nothing to fear. While he had heard of the petition, he explained that the visuals presented last year, the source of the club’s initial concern, were really just that: visuals. He assures that no solid decisions have been made and that a program study will take place this fall that will prioritize “reaching out to the faculty, staff, and to students, especially those major stakeholders that are using the space on a regular basis to understand how do we use this space today, how have we used the space, and what’s the vision for the space in the future.”
As of right now, construction will likely begin in November of 2019 with a summer 2021 completion date. •
