ETHS’s winter play is right around the corner! Coming to the Upstairs Theatre February 6th is the satirical comedy “Candide”, written by Scott Hunter. The play follows the ever-optimistic Candide on a crazy journey across nine countries, where he encounters earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, pirates, and sheep. Lots and lots of sheep. Throughout his adventures, Candide is faced with the question of whether the world he lives in is the best of all worlds, or if it’s just cruel.
“This is one of the funnier shows I’ve done,” says senior Zach Cutter, who plays the titular role of “Candide”. “But it’s also one of those shows that flips from funny to serious very quickly. No other show I’ve done has really done that to the degree that Candide does.”
Along with being the lead in ETHS’s upcoming comedy, Cutter is also acting in a play called “The Totality of All Things” directed by Enrico Spada at Redtwist Theatre in Chicago. “They’re very, very different shows. “[In “Totality of All Things”] my character is in a very dark space throughout the entire show. [In “Candide”] I get to be fun. I mess around, I do some fun stuff and then I leave.”
Throughout the play Candide’s main goal is to reunite with his childhood love, Cunegonde, although he faces many obstacles along the way. The materially-focused ingénue that Candide searches for is senior Pasha Irons-Rosin’s biggest role yet at ETHS. To prepare for it, Irons-Rosin has connected with the character in multiple ways. “I’ve made a playlist, a Pinterest board, and I’ve been drawing her and that really helps me bond with the character,” says Irons-Rosin. “My role is really dependent on Candide, so it’s been really important for Zach and I to feel comfortable [together]. I’m very grateful that I’ve had such a good partner and that we have been able to do all our scenes very comfortably.”
“Candide” is a challenging play for teenagers to bring to life. It requires a lot of emotional intelligence, playfulness, a sense of community, and the ability to jump from laughs to tears. It’s an adaptation of the novel of the same name, written by French philosopher and author Voltaire, written in 1759. A novel written by an old white man centuries ago: why perform “Candide” now? English teacher and director, Monica Lani, states that she chose to direct this production because, “Candide is a farce that looks at the aspects of life that I (and most people) find hardest to grapple with: human hate, conquest, persecution, colonialism, class war, natural disaster, sexism and racism. As a farce, Candide invites us to laugh, not because we want to diminish the importance of these issues, but rather acknowledge the ridiculousness and hypocrisy of our world. The main character Candide does what we as humans have to do, find meaning in a world that demoralizes and discriminates. In the end, he comes to a simple conclusion, to find peace in ‘cultivating your own garden,’ meaning controlling what you can and finding peace in cultivating love and meaningful relationships.”
Come to the upstairs theatre with your friends and family to see this amazing production. You will leave the theatre with a new perspective on life and the world around you.
“Candide” opens on Thursday, February 6th and closes on Saturday February 8th. Tickets will be selling out fast so buy yours now on ethstheatre.com before it’s too late!
