With a scenic design complete with modular interchangeable panels and an updated script, the stage adaptation of “Flowers for Algernon,” presented by Deaf West Theatre, speaks to more than one audience.
Bringing a contemporary twist to a modern American classic, “Flowers for Algernon” is a bilingual production, using modular panels to display captions for those who have hearing impairment. Deaf West Theatre, a company in North Hollywood that specializes in deaf theater worldwide, will be opening their play this Saturday in both spoken English and American Sign Language. The performance also features UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television alumna Sarah Lilly as the protagonist’s mother.
Based on the novel written by Daniel Keyes, “Flowers for Algernon” is the story of a mentally impaired young man named Charlie Gordon who is chosen for a scientific experiment that significantly raises his IQ. In this way, Gordon mirrors a lab mouse, named Algernon, whose intelligence is also increased by the experiment.
Lilly, who is a UCLA graduate of the class of 1980, said it was the powerful story that immediately attracted her to the role of Charlie Gordon’s mother.
“Ultimately the story is about perception and about how people look at each other because Charlie, someone who has often been the butt of the joke, begins to get treated differently as he turns more intelligent,” she said.
In similar fashion, director Matthew McCray, who first came upon the novel during his junior high school days, said he was really excited for the opportunity because a large part of the novel had remained with him ever since.
“It was the way language was used as a visual tool – the book was no longer about reading a simple story,” McCray said. “I always felt like there was a visual change in the language that was being used.”
Because the main character Charlie is disabled, he uses punctuation incorrectly. McCray said that this is something that can be seen visually during the bilingual production, and that much of the audience is able to see the evolution of language through the play.
While the stage adaptation essentially follows the same storyline, McCray said there were challenges in making the production bilingual.
“With a production like this there are things that just don’t make logical sense to keep. For example, when someone rings the doorbell, that doesn’t help if someone is hearing-impaired – they won’t hear it,” McCray said. “Therefore, we had to think in terms of captions. We needed to translate it to seeing or experiencing the same thing.”
Production of the play has been in progress since March of last year, with a significant chunk of time dedicated to making bilingual changes in the script. Scenic design and auditioning required one month of time each, while the rest was spent directing and rehearsing.
“The scenic design is all modular panels that move across the stage,” said Lilly, who also voices a few deaf characters in the show. “If positioned correctly, you can see someone else behind them like in a dream (scene), and other times, you can see video projected on them.”
The set is also incredibly complex in that it is set up like a maze, which symbolizes the literal maze Charlie goes through in the play, McCray said.
“Nobody has done anything with this play (the way we have). The play calls for 50 locations, but in our production, you never really get to see one fully formed building,” McCray said. “It’s more of an internal concept. We are presenting it in a way that is more emotional and accessible as opposed to literal scenes.”
“The biggest challenge doesn’t really come from the set design, though,” said Josh Breslow, who shares the stage as the voice of adult Charlie. “If I was offstage, it would be easier. But (in this play), it’s about really supporting each other and being able to voice out others’ motivations and emotions on stage.”
Despite its intricate set design, the play can hit home with anyone and does not target one specific audience, Lilly said.
“While we have solid characters and a great production, what I hope audiences get out of the play is the emotional story behind it,” Lilly said. “Because ultimately, we’re all trapped in some kind of maze. It’s just not how you get out of the maze; it’s about how you run it.”
