Dan Olsen  Journal Staff

A few weeks ago, Suffolk University’s Modern Theatre hosted several showings of The Seven Sicknesses performed by Suffolk’s theatre department, directed by Wesley Savick (originally by Sean Graney).  The evening included nine short plays and a dinner served at intermission.

Despite the seating proximity to the stage and to the actors, the students amazed the audience with their overwhelming professionalism as the play went on.  Action even took place up and down several isles of the house during the plays, which further enthralled the audience.

However, the dialogue itself seemed to place a sense of confusion over those sitting in the house and thus, it was up to the students on stage to capture their attention; in most cases they succeeded.  Still, while the costumes were well done and there were a few dazzling special effects, overall, the set seemed almost non-existent.  Many props and different staging were used seemingly to make up for the fact that students were performing on an empty stage.

While the prologue, epilogue and all seven main plays which included Oedipus, In Trachis, In Colonus, Philoktetes, Ajax, Elektra and Antigone all had very different themes and storylines, they all connected to each other, using many of the same characters.  For the students playing repeating characters, it was a chance to further develop their characters and win over the audience.

Overall, the production succeeded in living up to Suffolk’s diverse theatre scene thanks to many brilliant portrayals by very talented actors.  Although many students gave remarkable performances, stand-out performers included: Shakyves Dubreuil as “Creon,” Brian Bernhard as “Philoktetes,” Gillian Gordon as “Antigone,” Kelly Conrad as “Tekmessa,” Raya Malcolm as “Elektra,” and Ashley Hevey as “Head Nurse.”