'The Three Musketeers' fills stage with sword fights

After months of preparation and countless hours of hard work, the IU theater department’s “The Three Musketeers,” a stage adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel of the same name, will open Friday at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre.

“The Three Musketeers” stars D’Artagnan, a youth from the French region of Gascony, who, in his quest to become a Musketeer, befriends the legendary Athos, Porthos and Aramis. D’Artagnan’s acts of bravery simultaneously earn the respect of King Louis XIII and entangle him in the schemes of the evil Cardinal Richelieu and the sly Milady de Winter.

“It’s big, it’s exciting, it’s over the top, it’s blood pumping,” said senior Macaulay Richards, who plays D’Artagnan. “The Three Musketeers” will be Richards’ IU Theatre debut.

Although the play is set in 17th-century Europe, director and IU theatre faculty member Murray McGibbon said he believes the story is still relatable and will appeal to the audience.

“I don’t think it’s got much social significance for today, but the play touches on the issues of ambition, love, sense of adventure, doing the right thing and romance,” McGibbons said. “That’s all relevant today. It’s a good swashbuckling romantic tale. Is it going to change your life? No. Is it going to entertain you for a couple of
hours? Yes.”  

“The Three Musketeers” is the third IU theater production to debut this year.
“It’s an exciting play that is different than some of the others that we’re doing and will be a lot of fun for audiences, I think,” said Jonathon Michaelsen, chair of the Department of Theatre and Drama. “There’s comedy and great sword fighting.”

Sword fighting is an important element of the play and appealed to first-year Master of Fine Arts student Aaron Kirkpatrick, who plays Athos.

“Adam, our fight choreographer, is really great,” Kirkpatrick said. “Just the opportunity to work with him and the swords was the biggest draw for me.”

The swordplay element is important for more than the actors, however.

Tim Barbiaux, the set designer, had to consider the action that would take place onstage while he created the set.
 
“There has to be a lot of open space, but at the same time, sword fighting on a flat floor is not as interesting as on different levels,” Barbiaux said. “I wanted to have levels and stairs so that people could run around.”

The swordplay action and the overall play will especially appeal to students, McGibbons said.

“This is not your grandma’s evening out at the theater, although I hope Grandma will come and remember her youth,” he said. “It’s very high spirited, young, fresh, and it’s very fast moving.”

Michaelsen said seeing the story unfold on stage provides a very different experience for the audience than seeing it on the big screen.

“Students may have seen a movie of ‘The Three Musketeers,’ but they should see it live,” Michaelsen said.

“There’s nothing like seeing something on stage, with that actor-audience relationship where it’s live and the sword fighting is live and the characters are right there. To see it up close and personal is exciting.”