“The Memo" at Augustana College -- May 11 through 14.
Thursday, May 11, through Sunday, May 14
Augustana College's Brunner Theatre Center, 3750 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island IL
Lauded by Variety magazine as "a biting bureaucratic satire" that "rings truer than ever," legendary Czech playwright Václav Havel's The Memo serves as the final stage production in Augustana College's 2022-23 season, the dark comedy - running May 11 through 14 - centering on the introduction of a new language that is meant to make work more efficient, but has the exact opposite effect.
An Orwellian comedy of Communist rule, The Memo is set in a model political bureaucracy where a harassed manager unwittingly authorizes an experiment that will introduce a new bureaucratic jargon to supplant the popular language and expedite regimentation. The fellow who engineered the scheme now bypasses his manager and becomes manager himself. But the results of the new jargon are ludicrous, as nobody is able to translate the new directives, and the former manager eventually fights back from his night watchman job to regain his previous eminence -- only to encounter a still newer gibberish designed to supplant the last one.
Directing Augustana's take on The Memo is Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts Jennifer Popple, whose previous productions for the college have included Macbeth, One Flea Spare, Noises Off, The Crucible, and In the Next Room (or, The Vibrator Play). A dozen student actors enact Havel's comedy, with Popple's cast featuring: Ava Coussens (Morgan); Aniyah Davis (Taylor); Sylvia Hughes (Robin Gross); Madeline Hutchinson (Casey Kalous); Noah Johnson (Noah Kubs); Allie McPeak (Jo Masat); Kaden Micklos (Miles Balas); Ulan Okai (Charlie); Celeaciya Olvera (Beck Kunc); Grey White (Overlord); Megan Yarusso (Jess Brown); and Gianna Zampogna (Avery).
Synth Gonzalez is The Memo's production manager, with Mike Turczynski acting as scenic and sound designer and technical director. And with Alyssa Ogrodny serving as stage manager, additional members of Popple's creative team include assistant stage manager Fynn Greene, costume designer Becki Arnold, lighting designer Riley Scranton, props master Sarah Thul, hair and makeup designer Anya Giordano, projection designer (and Reader theatre reviewer) Roger Pavey Jr., master electrician Bella Perkins, and run crew Catherine Karn.
The Menu runs at Augustana College's Brunner Theatre Center May 11 through 14, with performances Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. And Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Admission is $10-15, and more information and reservations are available by calling (309)794-7306 and visiting Augustana.edu/tickets.
