MANSFIELD – A road trip of self-discovery will be put on display by The Ohio State University at Mansfield Theater Department Oct. 10-13 in Founders Auditorium, located on the Mansfield campus.
Directed by Joseph Fahey, Professor of Theater, along with Aaron Nicolas, and written by Michael Adams, MLES2GO tells the story of Jordan Belner, a 19-year-old who is questioning his identity and sexuality, while also grappling with the death of his mother and rejection by his father.
To make sense of all this, Belner takes a hitchhiking trip in which he crosses paths with a variety of characters that reflect Jordan’s struggle while also pushing him to better himself.
While the play grapples with the sensitive subject matter of identity, and features strong language and mature themes, the play also incorporates plenty of humor that keeps the story fun and engaging.
As an original play, great care has been taken to adapt the story from its original state.
Written by Los Angeles based playwright Michael Adams, it was read for an audience back in January, at Mansfield’s Renaissance Theater as a part of their Emerging Artists Program, which holds a yearly celebration in which artists from around the world submit their work to a committee for a chance to have their script read on stage.
In attendance at this stage reading was Fahey, who, after hearing the reading, had talks with both the playwright and Michael Thomas of the Renaissance Theater for a potential workshop staging of the play by the students of the Ohio State Mansfield Theater Program.
Adapting new work The ability to adapt new work from a contemporary writer is part of what makes the Ohio State Mansfield Theater Program so special.
According to Fahey, “In our local community we are uniquely positioned to advance work from an early phase to a level that can be broadly enjoyed by the public.
“It also creates an exceptional learning environment where our students encounter writers who are not just distant, unknown entities, but instead real people that are trying to solve problems and figure things out.
“To have an active hand in doing that is something special we bring to our students and our audiences.”
Through this partnership, the cast and crew of the play, who are made up of both Ohio State University and North Central State College students, as well as members of the community, have been able to work closely with the playwright, allowing them to collaborate and enrich the script.
“The Renaissance Theatre is so happy to be collaborating with Joe Fahey and the theatre program at Ohio State Mansfield,” said Michael Thomas, artistic director at the Mansfield Renaissance Theater, adding “the script offers his students the rare chance to work on a piece that’s never been staged before.
“They can explore and observe how a playwright works, as he/she changes and edits the script, and how the play evolves.”
New opportunity
Because the play has a focus on identity and sexuality, it has given the chance for some actors to branch out and attempt to play a character that may be unfamiliar to them.
“While the character of Claudette is outside of my comfort zone, I have definitely fallen into the character,” said Rachael Penrose, an Ohio State student who plays one of several unusual characters.
“I just think she’s so fun and flirty. She is a great character to captivate the audience and get them interested in Jordan’s journey.”
Additionally, Rachael emphasized that while the play has a lens on the exploration of queer themes, the core story of growing up and finding yourself is at the heart of the play.
“I think the play really masters what it’s like to be a young adult in this generation,” she said.
“You don’t have to have it all figured out. You might not be exploring identity in the same way as the main character Jordan is, but you can still connect to Jordan’s experiences in
exploration and finding himself.”
Because this is a new work, the audience will have the opportunity to provide feedback after each showing, allowing the theater department and playwright an opportunity to further develop the play.
The playwright will attend the Friday and Saturday performances, and the opening night will be followed by a free Friends of the Theatre reception in the lobby.
Tickets are $10 and $6 and can be purchased online or at the theatre. More information can be found at go.osu.edu/mansfieldtheatretickets