The University of New Mexico’s theatre department opened its season on Sept. 26 with “Under Milk Wood,” a lyrical depiction of life in a small Welsh town. Originally written by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas as a radio play for the BBC, the story examines how memory and imagination impact the interactions between people in their daily lives.
Unlike plays which rely on realism, Thomas’ poetic descriptions of the events in the town create a unique storytelling atmosphere, with the audience being very aware that they are witnessing a performance.
The play begins with the actors inviting the audience into the world of the play and the minds of the characters. The role of the audience as all-knowing observers is instantly established, giving more insight into the characters’ actions and motivations than is usually expected from a play.
While some of the story’s events are open to interpretation, the reasons behind the characters’ choices are often explicitly stated, making the choices that are not explained even more intriguing.
The play takes place over a single day in the town, but takes an unfamiliar approach by beginning at night, where the audience is allowed to see into the dreams of the townspeople. This introduction to the characters immediately reveals their inner thoughts to the audience, providing context for their actions later in the play.
This unusual method of storytelling further establishes the audience’s place in the story and establishes both intimacy and distance between them and the characters.
The sense of intimacy is increased by the play’s staging in UNM’s black box Experimental Theatre, which allows the audience to be closer to the action than in a traditional theatre.
UNM’s production consists of a small cast, with each actor playing six to nine characters. This requires the actors to be onstage for most of the performance, often switching between characters in a matter of seconds.
Cheyenne Bilbrey, one of the actors in “Under Milk Wood,” explained that this aspect of the show relies heavily on physicality.
“You have to give each one a different voice, give each one a different way of movement, and know in yourself who they are,” Bilbrey said. She also added that the way that the show is staged helps to distinguish the characters from each other, with different characters occupying their own areas of the stage.
The set, designed by Inseung Park, helps to create a clear picture of the many characters’ actions throughout the play while also maintaining the dreamlike atmosphere of Thomas’ text.
It consists of multiple levels, which help the actors to convey a sense of distance between different parts of the town, and is dominated by the outline of a clock face, a reminder of the passage of time that is a prominent theme of the play.
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Along with bringing their many characters to life, the cast of “Under Milk Wood” does an excellent job of breathing life into the town as a whole. There is always a sense of connection between all of the people in the town, whether the characters are aware of it or not.
The indirect impact that all of the characters have on the lives of those around them are laid out for the audience to see, and the inner lives of the characters that are displayed through their dreams at the beginning of the play return to influence how they interact with each other.
“Under Milk Wood” cultivates a sense of empathy by examining the small details of people’s lives. Director Kate Clarke said she hopes that taking time to delve into the life of the town inspires people to look more closely at their own everyday lives.
“As a world in which to immerse oneself artistically, I can think of no better counter to a world that is increasingly aggressive and jarring than in the humor, beauty and poignancy of the language of this play,” said Clarke in her director’s note.
Showings are this Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. All showings take place at the Experimental Theater.
Veronica Apodaca is a culture writer for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted by email at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @veeapodaca.
