Smoke filled the auditorium as dim red light was cast on towering set pieces, creating eerie shadows and excitable whispers from the crowd. As the narrator finished his introduction, the audience gasped, as an ensemble of 25 characters rushed to center stage, to erupt in intense song and dance.
Western Carolina University has seen many different productions make their way through campus, including various plays and musicals pulled from different genres. In spring 2022, the School of Stage and Screen performed their musical, The Addams Family, and comedic, and often times dramatic show. As they brought in new guest artists for the year 2023, it seemed necessary to choose a production of an entirely new, and challenging genre.
Western Carolina’s School of Stage and Screen kicked off their first showing of their spring musical production, Jekyll & Hyde, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 20. Three more showings of the production followed, and the show closed on Sunday, April 23.
After two and a half hours of exotic choreography, heartfelt duets, and elaborate set pieces, members of the audience exited Bardo Arts Center questioning nearly every element of the performance they had just witnessed.
Who is actually the hero?
Who is actually the villain?
Who am I most like?
“Jekyll & Hyde is a story about good and evil. The ability to do good and the ability to do evil; that exists in all people. The ramifications of our choices can be dire but what fuels those choices is often unknown,” said guest artist and show director Cory Phelps.
“In 2023, just like in 1886, we rarely take the time to question people’s intentions – we assume them. This breeds finger pointing, blaming, hypocrisy, and ultimately, a disdain for the ‘other’ side,” said Phelps. “This show is an example of what can happen when people won’t engage in genuine discourse, when things go too far in the other direction.”
An actor, director, and educator based out of Atlanta, Phelps is a Western Carolina alumni, who described this directing opportunity as a “full-circle” moment in his career.
Phelps continued to elaborate on why he chose to direct this show.
“My primary goal throughout this process was to serve these students in this special time and place, as they grow to be professional storytellers, too. They are some of the most talented young people I have ever worked with.”
Western Carolina sophomore acting student, Tyler Spencer, headed the production as the multi-faceted character Dr. Jekyll, and his evil alter ego, Mr. Hyde. Students, faculty, and local patrons alike were shaken by his nuanced performance, as he switched between characters right before their eyes.
“To play two characters in the same body like that, I couldn’t even imagine how much hard work it takes,” said WCU student, Kaleah Mosley.
As the first act of the show encompassed the relationships and all of the aspects of Dr. Jekyll’s life that he had to lose, the second act divulged into madness, as his alter ego became the forefront of who he was.
Spencer’s role was enhanced by his costars and on-stage love interests, Jessi Hoadley as Emma Carew, Dr. Jekyll’s fiance, and Greyson Huneycutt as Lucy Harris, a famed prostitute and Mr. Hyde’s lover.
“Every time I walk out of Bardo, I feel like my life has changed. You can’t just sit down and watch a show like that, and not feel like your perspective has changed in some way,” said WCU student Cora Haste.
In speaking about Western Carolina’s students and their dedication to this production, director Phelps closes a personal note in the shows program with words of encouragement.
“Buckle up, grab a tissue, turn your head at the bloody parts if you need to, and lean into this epic, intense, and heartfelt retelling of Jekyll & Hyde. Forever I will say “Go Cats!” but tonight I say it louder than ever.”
