Volume 44, Issue 6. Today is
“Le Movement” makes debut at Theatre Outback
Paul A. Elsner’s play Le Movement was performed exquisitely by MCC alumni and staff. Elsner’s 1984 script has survived and evolved with time to be pertinent to today’s environment.
The play begins in the year 2000 in San Antonio, where Elsner’s main character Everyman, is giving a terrific speech to the American Association of Community, Junior, and Technical Colleges.
Everyman is aware of this great movement, but has trouble uniting the movements under uniform agendas and charters.
“Community colleges are the Ellis Island of higher education, we came under steerage to the new world, but we are highly powerful,’ Elsner said.
Everyman’s theme and purpose is very similar to other prolific literature figures like Ishmael in Moby Dick and Peter in War and Peace.
Joel Cranson played Everyman beautifully with the zest and spunk of a young unlearned child. Shortly after his momentous speech, Everyman dies and proceeds to his after-life. His after-life comprises most of the first trilogy.
In his these sequences Everyman learns of his weaknesses and is keen on returning to San Antonio to further his movement. Everyman learns his weaknesses through other complex characters.
Bryanna Tauscher, Superior Sponsor, welcomes Everyman to his after-life which Everyman refuses to accept. Tauscher fulfilled the role of a superior and nurturing leader of Everyman’s after-life.
Cranson encounters introspection, class, and renewal. All these characters represent barriers to Everyman’s successful movement.
Everyman learns that he must become apart of an amphibian society to survive and adapt to the entire world.
The realization of his goals and agendas allows Everyman to return to San Antonio to continue his movement.
The play was directed by Lyn Dutson and performed in a reader’s theatre form.“Reader’s theatre allows the audience to have imagination,” said Dutson.
Elsner said, “I am very flattered and honored to have commandeered these individuals to perform such a great art form.”
The second and third parts of the trilogy will be performed on Feb. 8 and Apr. 5 in LB 145 in the Paul A. Elsner Library.