The Eastern community will have a chance to see a play with the action almost at arm’s length in the Doudna Fine Arts Center’s Black Box Theatre.

“Incorruptible: A Dark Comedy about the Dark Ages” is Michael Hollinger’s satirical screenplay with a look at the fragility of faith in the face of survival set in Priseaux, France, in 1250. The play is directed by John Oertling, the department of theatre arts chair.

“Incorruptible” has eight actors who are a mixture of students, professors and Charleston community members. Performances are set for 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, as well as 2 p.m. Sunday.

Oertling said he had wanted to direct “Incorruptible” when he first read the script about three years ago, describing it as crazy and off-the-wall.

“Incorruptible” tells the tale of a monastery in France whose patron saint is St. Foy. The saint’s relics have not produced any miracles in 13 years, and the church is in dire need for money to make ends meet. A rival church steals the bones, taking away a revenue source for the monastery. The monks do not want to starve and desire to keep helping the needy.

To make money, they start digging up the church’s graveyard and selling the bones as “saintly” relics. Soon the Pope wants to visit the monastery’s incorruptible, which is St. Foy’s undecayed remains, but for the monks, there is no incorruptible.

Oertling has directed the play previously, but this will be the first time “Incorruptible” will be directed and performed in a full arena with the audience surrounding the actors.

“The setting will definitely be more intimate,” Oertling said. “The audience will be so close. You can practically reach out and touch the actors.”

Actor Brian McElligott, a sophomore theatre arts major, is already familiar with acting in the Black Box Theatre having played a role in “Cowboys and Indians” earlier this year.

“It’s a small space,” McElligott said. “There’s more subtleties in acting. Everyone in the back row can hear you, so in the Black Box (Theatre), you can tone it down. It’s definitely a difference in seating.”

For “Incorruptible,” the audience will surround the play on three sides with only three rows of chairs. The audience will sit in the dark with lights illuminating only the actors. However, neither the seating nor the stage is usually arranged like this.

Oertling said the Black Box Theatre is simple to set up, offering different possibilities in terms of seating and stage location. Once, the stage was located in the corner with the audience seated diagonally.

The director said he did not face any challenges with directing in such an intimate space.

“It has a different setting but the same elements,” Oertling said. “Nothing in the play is changed due to it being in the Black Box. My job as director is to make the act fit that stage.”

Tim Mason, an economics professor and actor in the show, said he does not focus on the fact that he is surrounded by the audience. Even though this will be the first time Mason has performed in the Black Box Theatre, he is no stranger to small stages having acted in the Charleston Community Theatre since 2002.

“You do see people that you may know from time to time,” Mason said. “Sometimes, with the spotlight on you, you will have people that recognize you, but you can’t see the audience. But you just try and keep character.”

Mallory Stringfellow, a sophomore theatre arts major, is also someone who has never acted in the Black Box Theatre. She said she is looking forward to the change and that enjoys what the play has to offer.

“It’s different than ‘Tempest,’ the last play I was in,” Stringfellow said. “It was a more serious play. ‘Incorruptible’ is more light-hearted. I like it. It’s kind of different.”

McElligott said he believes the play is something that everyone on campus can easily enjoy.

“I think it should be entertaining,” McElligott said. “It’s very fast paced. It’s one liner after one liner. There’s a lot of physical comedy. It’s got kind of a religious moral overtone to it.”

Oertling said he is grateful to the community who stepped up. One of the things he enjoys the most is working with a diverse group of students in all levels of experience with theatre.

“I get to work with a group of talent,” Oertling said. “I get to see all of the levels from the cast. Some are newer than others, but it’s a great learning experience.”

Tickets can be purchased at the Doudna box office.

There is open seating.

The general admission is $12, $10 for seniors and Eastern employees and $5 for students.

Michael Cortez can be reached at 581-7942 or mjcortez@eiu.edu.

Katherine Kruzic, junior theatre arts major, and Grant Molen, freshman theatre arts major, rehearse at the first dress rehersal for “Incorruptible,” a play put on by the Theatre Department. (Brad York/On the Verge)

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