DSU theater department premieres original adaptation of ‘Moby Dick’

Eight DSU theater students and two faculty members have recently completed work on “The White Whale,” a stage adaptation of Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” which will premiere on Thursday, Jan. 28. The group’s efforts were part of a theater course at DSU. The script is based on 46 pages of notes and represents months of work.

Denise Burton, Bailee Barnes, Rebecca Christensen, Elizabeth Gubler, Bethany Gudgell, Jarrod Hayes, Derek Hostetter, Coy Shinn, Zachary Waite and Mark Houser are the contributing members to the project. Denise Burton, lead writer for “The White Whale,” spent a great deal of time outside of the class arranging Melville’s own words and composing stage directions to assist in staging the best moments of the story.

Baliee Barnes (freshman costume designer), Elizabeth Gubler (senior scenic designer) and Zachary Waite (freshman imagineer) form the design team for the production. These students have designed special technical effects, a rotating whaling ship, and a stylized look for the cast of crazed shipmates.

Although not a musical, the production includes many of the original sea shanties devised by sailing crews to pass the time and to create a rhythm as they worked. Familiar tunes like “Haul Away Joe,” “Drunken Sailor,” “Spanish Ladies,” and others grace the decks of the Pequod as they journey across the world on their hunt for Moby Dick.

The ensemble of “The White Whale” is eager to put on the production, especially knowing they are the first cast to perform the original work.

“The White Whale” runs in the Dolores Dore Eccles Fine Arts Center Black Box Theatre Jan. 28–30 and February 2–6. For tickets and information, contact the DSU Box Office at (435) 652-7800 or order online now at dsutix.com. This production is rated PG and is appropriate for all audiences.

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