Dan Hale in “Strange Case" at St. Ambrose University -- March 28. (photo by Miranda Richards)
Saturday, March 28, 7 p.m.
St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center, 2101 Gaines Street, Davenport IA
With his one-man show inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, St. Ambrose University professor and theatre-department chair Dan Hale presents a one-night-only performance of Strange Case on March 28. Hale has written, directs, and stars in this work that draws on his experiences as a street performer and theatrical clown, the resulting production at St. Ambrose's Galvin Fine Arts Center an original take on Stevenson's familiar story of the struggle between good and evil.
As opposed to a traditional telling of the Jekyll-and-Hyde saga, Strange Case combines circus arts, eccentric dance, and Gothic horror to re-create this timeless tale, and regarding the March 28 production, Hale says, "This show idea has been sitting in an old journal of mine for 20 years or so that I rediscovered recently. My wife has been very encouraging, and now that the kids are a little bit older, it's easier to take time to build a show.
"Jekyll & Hyde provides a unique opportunity to explore physical theatre," he continues. "Circus skills, clown, and street performance have always been interests of mine, and without giving anything away, let's just say there are elements of all three in Strange Case: juggling, dance, crowd work, et cetera."
In addition to writing, directing, and acting in Strange Case, Hale serves as his show's sound designer, with additional members of the creative team including lighting designer Aaron Hook, stage manager and publicity photographer, and Hale's mother Peggy. (Hale says: "Thanks, mom, for helping with the costumes!") Strange Case's creator adds that in addition to the many hats he's currently wearing, he is "spending a lot of time reviewing video footage and making changes and rewrites ... even though I'm still sweating from rehearsal.
Regarding what he hopes audiences take from his one-man show, Hale adds that "in addition to being amazed by the circus arts, I hope the audience also leaves with thoughts about the deeper themes of the source material. One of the themes I find most important in Jekyll & Hyde is about living with the consequences of feeding our worst impulses. I value theatre that is both entertaining and poignant."
Strange Case will be performed in St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center on March 28, admission to the 7 p.m. performance is $20-30, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)333-6251 and visiting Cur8.com/19339/project/133530.
