Oscar Wilde’s Biblical tragedy “Salome” is being brought to the Performing Arts Center’s Center Stage by students Feb. 21-26.
“Salome” tells the story of Salome, who as the stepdaughter of Herod requests the head of John the Baptist on a platter as a reward for her dancing.
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Performances are 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21-25 and 2 p.m. Feb. 26. Parking is $3 in the 4th Avenue Parking Ramp or free with a St. Cloud State parking permit.
Admission is $10 or free with a St. Cloud State ID. Tickets are available at the door or at scsutickets.com.
Written in 1891, “Salome” was part of an emerging sea of experimental and avant-garde art movements looking at the higher spiritual consciousness and creating art for art’s sake.
“Salome” is something in between. It is both reveling in visual imagery and employs an almost hypnotic poetic repetition. The play could also be seen as a glimpse into the inner life of a gay man in the late 19th century as Wilde is known for being at the center of one of the first high-profile court cases involving homosexuality and the play deals with themes of forbidden passion, hopeless longing and societal restrictions, said director Jeffrey Bleam.
“Oscar Wilde is largely known for his quick verbal wit and his insistence that nothing in life be taken to seriously,” Bleam said. “… But Wilde was also a writer of poetry; rich and evocative pieces which reveal a very different side of him — one that is brooding, introspective and addicted to sensuous imagery. It is this side of the man that we see in ‘Salome.’”
The play challenges actors with the dream-like and abstract approach to acting required by “Salome,” he said.
In order to prepare for this type of approach, theatre members worked with Minneapolis dancer and trainer Gadu Doushin, who performed through the School of the Arts Creative Art Series.
Gadu works with Butoh, a Japanese dance style that emphasizes bodily and spiritual awareness. It is known for its slow movements and engaged presence.
“Often, watching Butoh is like viewing a slowly-shifting painting, which makes it an ideal choice for conveying the images and poetry of ‘Salome,’” Bleam said. “‘Salome’ tells a particular story, but it is not the narrative which drives this piece — it is the interplay of tensions and desires which shift like tides and reflect the moon.”
