Frost In The Spring Time: Entirely Student-Created Play Humanizes Legendary Poet
Dim lighting and acoustic music set an eerie and somber tone in the Tower Theater for Liberty Theater Department’s performance of “The Darkest Evening,” a student-led and student-written play about the life of the American poet Robert Frost.
The stage resembled a swamp — weeds dotting the perimeter, a pool of water and stepping stones sitting off to the right. The audience’s anticipation amid this dreary setting was palpable. The students had been preparing for the play for months and promoting it for just as long. The play had two separate casts. Each one performed every other night.
The play told the story of Frost, referred to as “Rob,” learning a harsh lesson. As a recent high school graduate and aspiring poet, Frost sought to attend a university and publish his poems. He soon discovered that university was not an option, and, despite his unwavering passion, he didn’t publish a single poem for months. During this hardship in his career, Frost must also navigate the rough waters of rocky relationships with his family, his girlfriend and his mentor.
McKenzie Ohler, a freshman acting major, is one of the actresses who played Elinor White, Frost’s girlfriend in the play and wife in real life.
“We see him (Frost) in a lot of different relationships and how he perceives different aspects of those relationships,” Ohler said. “I’d like people to realize the value of relationships and reaching out to people. … Having strong foundations and good connections with people is important.”
“The Darkest Evening” has no shortage of symbolism, from the butterfly with a broken wing to the representation of Frost’s thoughts about the Great Dismal Swamp.
Interwoven throughout the play, scenes of a mythical realm based on “A Ballad: The Lake of Dismal Swamp” by Thomas Moore symbolize the struggle in Frost’s mind with his relationships, writing and pride.
Several meaningful themes – pride, passion, idleness and the conflict of love versus obsession – knit the play together. Rob must overcome a tyrannous pride while also realizing his value doesn’t come from the money he can earn from his writing.
The student actors played their roles brilliantly, exhibiting raw emotion and passion. Every character, fictional and historical, came to life in a believable fashion.
“I kind of enjoyed jumping in blindly,” Ohler said about her role in the play. “I have really only ever played comedy in my life, and Elinor is very much that romantic, sweet, loving character … which is really fun to play. … It has been a joy to learn how to do something else.”
The play could not have gone on without the astounding visual and audio effects. When there was a storm, the audience could hear the wind and rain as if it were pouring inside the theater. No one in the audience was expecting the sudden flash of light and thundering bang that accompanied a surprise lightning strike, causing half the people in the front row to jump.
When Rob’s mother tells him the story of the Great Dismal Swamp, she sings to the dancing of the glowing characters of the swamp. The ballet communicated the powerful, raw emotion of the two characters being first wed and then separated.
More information on the play and how to purchase tickets can be found at www.liberty.edu/arts/theatre/current-season/. Showings end March 6.
Bear is a feature reporter.