STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Busy days ahead for Theatre at Tarleton. The troupe will present Lizzie: The Musical, a four-woman rock concert/musical hybrid, in eight performances over two weekends in two venues.
Beginning with 7:30 p.m. shows Oct. 5-8 and 2 p.m. matinees Oct. 7 and 8 in the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center in Stephenville, the show closes with presentations at 2 and 7 p.m. Oct. 14 in Fort Worth’s Scott Theater.
Lizzie draws inspiration from Riot Grrrl music, queer sensibilities and ’70s/’80s female punk. Riot Grrrl is a subculture combining feminism and punk music. Its songs frequently dealt with rape, domestic violence, sexuality, racism, patriarchy, classism, anarchism and female empowerment.
In late summer 1892 in Fall River, Mass., 32-year-old Lizzie Borden was accused of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe. Testimonies were muddled, evidence was incomplete, and Lizzie was acquitted.
Lizzie: The Musical delves into the woman’s mind and speculates on her motivations, from loss of inheritance and a history of sexual abuse to overwhelming oppression and madness.
By her side are older sister Emma, maid Bridget and neighbor Alice. Together, the four women create a punk rock score to tell the story of why Lizzie “took an axe and gave her mother 40 whacks” and why, “when she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41.”
Lizzie’s wealthy father, as she reminds throughout the show, wanted a son, thus her middle name, Andrew. By her account, her father sexually abused her. She and her sister, Emma, also said their stepmother, Abby, treated them harshly.
Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer, Tim Maner and Alan Stevens Hewitt wrote the play. Theatre Assistant Professor Dan Stone directs the Tarleton version.
“Growing up in the 1980s, I developed a strong affinity for the hard rock and heavy metal scene of that era,” Stone said. “What better soundtrack for the life of an angsty rebellious teenager than the hard-hitting sounds of bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Sex Pistols, Judas Priest and of course Joan Jett.
“When I came across this play, I was immediately drawn to its pounding guitars and howling vocals, and I’m staging it like an ’80s heavy metal/punk concert incorporating aspects of Antonin Artaud’s Theatre of Cruelty. This means harsh saturated colored lighting, sound that pierces and pulsates, unexpected surprises and ritualistic movement/physicality. The songs will be considered very loud, and lighting will be intense for some patrons.”
The cast features Benny Brown as Lizzie Borden, Rebecca Franco as Emma Borden, Madilyn Munn as Alice Russell, Anna Lee Williams as Bridget Sullivan, and Reyna Rose, Rilee Pinson and Emily Fox as Women in Black.
Behind the scenes, Prudence Jones is the scenic designer and handles projections, Halani Harber is the lighting designer, Derek Shaw the sound designer and Rebecca Franco the costume designer. Clay Luton is in charge of props, and Turner Laxson is technical director.
The play is intended for audiences 18 years or older. For ticket information call 254-968-9634.
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.