 Pierre de Marivaux is one of the most important playwrights of the 18th century. |
SUNY Fredonia students enrolled in the class, “French Drama in Practice,” will present an 18th century French comedy titled, Le Jeu de l’amour et du hasard (The Game of Love and Chance,) by Pierre de Marivaux.
Led by Dr. Leonore Loft, a professor of French within the Department of Modern Languages and Literature, the students will study the play in-depth and then produce it, learning not only about the literary aspects of “Comédie Française” (French Comedy), but also about the complexity of staging a play, from acting to sound and lighting.
The students will give two performances of the play in Diers Recital Hall on the Fredonia campus, beginning on Friday, Oct. 16 at 12:30 p.m., and again on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. Both are open to the public and free of charge. Local middle and high school French teachers are invited to bring their classes to Friday’s performance. The play is approximately two hours long, including two brief intermissions.
Le Jeu de l’amour et du hasard is a three-act romantic comedy in which a character named Silvia is engaged to marry Dorante, a man she has never met. To observe the true personality of her fiancé, Silvia decides to disguise herself by trading places with her servant when Dornate visits to formalize their engagement. Unbeknown to her, he has the same idea.
A summary of the plot will be provided for the audience following the performance.
Ben Sheedy, who is pursuing a theatre major with a French minor, explained that acting in French poses some interesting challenges.
“It is very difficult to follow a character’s thoughts when you can barely understand the words they are speaking, so you have to rely on more physical action,” Sheedy said.
Student actors Gina Gautieri and Michael Brown added that there is a real challenge in memorizing lines in another language, although they admit they have noticed it has helped them with inflection and boosted their confidence in their own French-speaking skills.
Other student performers include Marielle Ali, Katherine Clark, Kyle Reimer and Chloe Tsernovitch.
“This class and the play provide a unique learning and cultural experience to our students and the community at large,” Dr. Loft stated. “The students are very dedicated and committed to the class and the production.”
The performance is sponsored by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and the College of Arts and Humanities. Those wishing to support French majors and programs such as this can make a tax-deductible donation to the Tom Goetz/Rie Scholarship, under the care of the Fredonia College Foundation, 272 Central Ave., Fredonia, N.Y. 14063.
