Missouri State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance continues its 2024-2025 season with its production of “The Moors.”

Assistant professor Nikki Ferry directs the Gothic dark comedy written by Jen Silverman.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24-26 and 28 and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 27.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students/seniors. Special advance rates are available for students with an MSU ID.

All performances take place in the Craig Hall Balcony Theatre.

Get Tickets to “The Moors”

Seeking “Connection”

As Ferry explains, “The Moors” reflects this year’s theme of “Connection” through the universal concept of desire.

“Overall, the play captures the complexity of interpersonal interactions by highlighting the fine line that must be drawn between loneliness and the need for connection in a harsh and unwelcoming environment,” she said.

“Every character in ‘The Moors’ has deep desires, whether they are related to power, fantasy, love or validation,” Ferry said. Two of those characters are animals — The Mastiff and The Moor-hen.

“It’s been a lot of joy to learn about these two very different animals who are experiencing very real human feelings and interactions,” Ferry said.

Gothic feel in a modern-day setting

Ferry said Silverman’s production notes describe the setting as “the bleak moors” in England, calling to mind the environment and atmosphere of a Brönte novel. The story itself, however, is about the present.

“Play the anachronisms,” the production notes urge.

Ferry said the production team is doing just that.

“We have enjoyed playing with the anachronisms,” she said. “This is expressed in our costume design, which incorporates the silhouettes of the period yet with a modern take.”

Hooked from the beginning

When Ferry first encountered “The Moors” during an audition in New York in 2015, she recalled feeling “astounded” by the play’s “potent use of language, imagery and actors playing animals.”

“I had never read anything like the writing of Jen Silverman before,” she said.

Ferry knew immediately that she wanted to direct “The Moors.”

“I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to do so at Missouri State with our amazing cast and crew,” she added.

Opportunities for research and teaching

The production is giving Ferry and Dr. Julia Moriarty, assistant professor of theatre and dance, an opportunity to conduct research in the field of dramaturgy.

Ferry and Moriarty are both certified teachers of the Michael Chekhov Technique. For “The Moors,” they are using their training to research how dramaturgy methods can be “physically embodied” in production, Ferry said.

Applying dramaturgy methods

Moriarty serves as the production’s dramaturg.

“A dramaturg supports the production ensemble by compiling research about the context and subject of the play, its setting and anything unfamiliar within the text,” Moriarty explained.

For example, a dramaturg might analyze the text to help performers better understand the play or the director’s concept, she noted.

“As the dramaturg for ‘The Moors’, I’m tasked with helping the actors understand the setting of the play — English moorland, the architecture of a Victorian manor, Victorian society’s class structure — and its genre, [the] Gothic thriller,” Moriarty added.

Using Stanislavski’s “Active Analysis” approach

In addition, Ferry is using her training to teach Konstantin Stanislavski’s Active Analysis approach to student actors.

“Active Analysis is a reversed rehearsal technique in which actors examine and embody the play’s action prior to learning their lines,” Ferry explained. The technique removes the typical practice of “table reads.”

“The performers discover that they comprehend their actions and intentions in a much more embodied manner,” Ferry added. “As a result, they are frequently shocked at how quickly they can memorize their lines!”

Photo credits: Ashley Christian.