The door to Narnia opened in Western Carolina University this February and was finally closed with the last showing of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on Feb. 28.
The new WCU Stage and Screen production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was a success on the final night with a turnout of over 100 people. This production marks a new level of quality with the production’s use of live projections and custom-made puppets courtesy of guest artist, Laurencio Ruiz.
Sam Brandon, WCU performing arts major who played Edmund in the production, found his family in the troupe who participated in the production and the director Ashley Wosman.
“It was by far one of the best processes for rehearsals I’ve ever been a part of. I feel like each production had its own family like when I did Pippin’ or The Tempest, but when I became a part of this production in particular, I truly felt like I belonged. It was a very uplifting environment since the director, Ashley Wosman, encouraged failure to help build our performances over time,” Brandon said.
He also added the innovation and technical aspects of the show made it more complicated.
“The shadow puppetry stuff not lining up with the real-life performances or puppets’ heads not facing the right way. But I feel like any of those issues were solved by the time we got to opening day,” Brandon explained.
Unlike most of the productions the Department of Stage and Screen has held before The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a story essentially made for children, with themes of childhood wonder and personal growth at the center.
Brandon had a learning curve when it came to the more whimsical dialogue of the script.
“A lot of the roles were for children or demanded that the actor portray a child, which was something I wasn’t used to. The last production I was in I played a 45-year-old man while Edmund is a spoiled nine-year old boy. I think the British accent I put on sold it, though. If I could go back, I would’ve pitched my voice higher,” Brandon said.
Brandon also reflected on the role he chose during casting auditions. “Edmund is kind of a villain compared to Lucy, Peter, and Suzan. He’s one of the only characters with an intentional arc in the whole story, which made things more interesting than I thought it’d be.”
The director of the production, Ashlee Wasumb, was praised by both talent and behind the scenes people for her vision and sense of direction in making the source material come to life. Due to its fantastical setting, the use of shadow projections and complex puppetry made this one of the most technologically advanced productions in the department’s recent history. The Department of Stage and Screen is also putting on a production for Sweeny Todd, a much darker story than what we’ve seen from the department recently.
The production’s music was led by senior musical theater major, Luke Younts, along with a team of student musicians. This student-led music is a first for the Department of Stage and Screen, who usually use professional musicians in their productions. Davin Broadhurst played the mandolin and the guitar, AJ Reid on the Chellow, and Hannah King was on vocals.
An audience member, Michael Sorkin, and his three children attended the last show on Feb. 28, praising the scale of the production.
“It was one of the most ambitious college productions I’ve ever seen. From the outside looking in, despite some minor changes, it’s still extremely close to the source material,” said Sorkin.
The next production for the program is Peter and I, a custom-written story by Matte O’Brien that reimagines the people who inspired Neverland and Peter Pan. The story has themes of friendship, imagination, and accepting reality. There will be four performances starting on April 17. So, make sure to get your tickets.
