Special UNM community night performance on Thursday, Oct. 19
Tricklock Company presents its first collaboration with the University of New Mexico’s Department of Theatre and Dance as UNM’s first theatre company-in-residence with the world premiere of Candide, conceived and developed by Joe Feldman and Tricklock Artistic Director Joe Peracchio, with script and direction by Joe Feldman and produced by UNM and Joe Peracchio. This new adaptation of Voltaire’s classic novel, with original music, begs the question, “Is this the best of all possible worlds?” It runs from Tuesday, Oct. 12, through Friday, Oct. 29, at Rodey Theatre in UNM’s Center for the Arts.
Photo: UNM acting student Babak Tafti (left) as Martin with Tricklock's Kevin R. Elder as Candide. Photo credit: Chad Johannesen
Thursday, Oct. 19, has been designated “UNM Community Night,” designed to introduce the Tricklock Company to the broader UNM community. The first 200 people who present a UNM ID will be able to purchase one ticket for the performance for only $5. Additionally, two other special evenings are planned.
On opening night, Thursday, Oct. 12, university, civic and state leaders will be invited to a pre-performance catered gala and post-performance reception to launch the show and formally kick off the new residency. On Thursday, Oct. 26, Quality of Life Initiative Night will raise awareness of the upcoming Quality of Life Initiative ballot measure and encourage the community to unite and celebrate our creative city and its future as a leader in the arts in the Southwest.
“In approaching this classic work, we wanted to stay true to the aspects that have made it a beloved novel since it was written in 1759. The book is full of wisdom, sarcasm, religious and political conflict and sexiness,” Joe Feldman said. “Naturally, Tricklock is bringing its unique combination of absurdism, theatricality and physicality to this adaptation. This show is a feast for the eyes and ears with great costumes and sets, plus original musical numbers and sound design by Michael Keck.”
“UNM is bringing its expertise in costume, set and prop construction, technical support in lighting and sound, and far more sophisticated technical and design facilities and elements than Tricklock had in its former smaller space,” Theatre and Dance Department Chair Susan Pearson said. “This first collaboration will bring a new energy to the educational experience of both our acting students and the design/tech students who are working on the show.”
Candide follows the comic adventures of the eponymous youngster (Tricklock Company member Kevin R. Elder) and his tutor Pangloss (veteran Albuquerque actor William Sterchi). The pair travels from the old world to the new, through all times and no time, and even into space. They encounter kings and beggars, mermaids and truck stop managers, priests and cabdrivers along their journey of discovery. The cast features 10 UNM Theatre and Dance students playing more than 30 roles, along with Tricklock Company members Kate Houska (Cunegonde), Chad Brummett (Cacambo), Elsa Menendez (Old Woman) and Summer Olsson (Captain X/Orchid of Delphi/Head Butler).
In addition to UNM’s acting students, the theatre department’s technical staff and faculty are participating side by side with Tricklock artists and staff. The stage manager, Chelsea Usherwood, is an undergraduate, and the scenic designer, Casy Mraz, is a graduate student.
“In addition, UNM Costume Shop supervisor, Stacia Smith, Scene Shop Supervisor Richard Hess and Master Electrician Luke Olson are working with Tricklock’s design staff to realize their visions using student labor and integrating Candide-related projects into their design classes,” Pearson said.
Candide runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are available from the UNM ticket office by calling 925-5858, or online at unmtickets.com.
Prices for the Opening Night gala performance are $25 for all seats. For the rest of the run (except for UNM Community Night), prices are $20 general admission, $15 for UNM faculty and senior adults, $10 for UNM staff and students, and $4 for Theatre and Dance majors. The play, suitable for teenagers and adults, contains some suggestive sexual situations and a sprinkling of strong language.
Tricklock Company is an international theater organization founded in 1993 whose mission is to create, tour, and produce theatrical productions as a permanent resident company committed to artistic risk, physicality, absurdism and poetic work. The company’s Web site is Tricklock Company.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu