Theater and drama department presents 3rd production in series

Recent movies such as “Enchanted” and the Shrek trilogy have proven that fairy tales aren’t just for kids anymore. Now, the IU Department of Theatre and Drama presents its own original musical adult fairy tale, “The Day Boy and the Night Girl.”

Adapted from a short story by Victorian author George MacDonald, “The Day Boy and the Night Girl” is this year’s third installment in the department’s Premiere Musicals: Developing New Musical Theatre at Indiana University program, which is now in its third year.

The play centers on a witch named Watho, who is tormented by a wolf in her head, said the new musical’s lyricist and playwright Katie Baldwin Eng.

“(Watho) doesn’t like how complicated things are,” Eng said, describing her as a kind of scientist. Like any scientist, Watho experiments to find an answer – she decides to raise two perfect children, a “day boy” named Photogen and a “night girl,” Nycteris, played by graduate student Carmund White and senior Lovlee Carroll, respectively.

From infancy, Photogen grows in the light, learns to run and hunt and always returns home before nightfall, while Nycteris lives in the night, studies music with only a single lamp for light and is never allowed outside.

“It goes to the darkest places of what it means to be a parent and what it means to try to solves one’s problems through someone else,” Eng said.

The wolf, who represents Watho’s internal conflict, is played by junior William Angulo, while professional actress Tina Stafford plays Watho. Stafford is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the labor union for actors and stage managers in the United States.

“It’s an experiment for (Waltho), and she’s completely mindless of the fact that these are human beings,” she said.

Stafford, the only professional actor in the production , sees herself as a mentor to her student cast mates, rather than a teacher.

“I love working side-by-side with students, especially college-age,” Stafford said. “Teaching is not my strength. ... If we can stand side-by-side and look in the same direction, I can impart whatever wisdom I have that way.”

The production has a unique atmosphere because of the combination of student and professional staff.

“We’re very excited to be here doing this,” Eng said, complimenting the open and friendly atmosphere in the department. Eng added that the environment gives the creative team freedom to take risks.

“A lot of times you don’t realize how censored you feel in certain situations,” she said.
Because this is the first time the show will run, Eng and composer James Rubio are constantly revising the script and music, making the actors’ work considerably more difficult, said director George Pinney.

“They have their own ... true and theatrical voices,” Pinney said, commenting that Rubio’s music was part of what attracted him to the production. “You don’t hear other composers in his work. ... He has a very original voice.”

The changes also make this production a one-of-a-kind experience for the audience.

“It’s exciting but extremely challenging,” Stafford said. “If it has been a good change, it will stay forever. If not, who knows what will happen tomorrow.”