'The Traveller'
recounts the future
James Floss brings interpretation of H.G. Wells novel to
Gist Theater
by Rachel Sathrum, Scene
editor
|
James Floss
appears for the last time in this area as "The
Traveller" during the one-man production this
weekend. Photo courtesy of Pamela Lyall and
Charlotte August
|
"The Traveller," a one- man stage
adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel "The Time Machine," opens
tomorrow night at 8 p.m. in the Gist Theatre.
James Floss, lecturer in the
communication department, brings Wells' famous story to
life in this two-hour, chamber- reader style
drama.
The main character in the play,
"Tã," known as the Traveller, is kind of like a
grand chamber reader, Floss said. Floss has been a
chamber reader since the early '80s when he was a theater
student at HSU. Chamber readers are a group that brings
stories to life through voice animation.
The performance is a "compacted,
edited, truncated, a Reader's Digest version of the
original book. Ninety-seven percent of the words are H.G.
Wells," Floss said.
Bernadette Cheyne, theater arts
chairwoman, said, "it's a very tight and well-written
script. His show is highly energized and engaging. He
draws the audience members into the performance and holds
their attention throughout."
"Though the 'Time Traveller' story
may be familiar to some, it is presented in a refreshing
new way that will keep the audience engrossed
throughout," Cheyne said.
The show originally opened on Jan.
1 at Plays-in-Progress at the World Premier Theatre in
Eureka.
"It was an appropriate day for a
show about time," Floss said.
|
"The Traveller"
includes character traits similar to H.G. Wells
himself. Photo courtesy of Pamela Lyall and
Charlotte August
|
"Response to the show has been terrific. I have been
humbled and gratified," he said.
"We had full houses at the theater
every night except one. We even added extra seats because
the demand was there."
He was also sent cards encouraging
him and complimenting his performance, he
said.
"The Traveller" also played at the
Ferndale Repertory Theatre in June. The three shows this
weekend in Gist Theatre will be the last area showing of
"The Traveller."
"I'm really targeting the campus
community this time. Most students didn't go to Eureka or
Ferndale," he said.
In Act 1, the playbill states that
"the Traveller makes an outrageous claim, disappears for
an uncomfortable span and then proceeds to tell a
fantastic story of our collective future."
His story is told in the style and
language of the 19th century.
During his disappearance, the
Traveller goes to the year 802,701 A.D.
"At first he thinks he finds a
utopia but then discovers it has sinister secrets," Floss
said.
In the future he finds two types of
people: the Elois and the Morlocks. The Elois are
beautiful people, and the Morlocks live underground,
hidden away from society.
"It's an evolutionary distinction
between the haves and the have-nots," Floss
said.
"Wells was a socialist. He was
concerned about what he saw ãthe widening gap
between the rich and the poor," he said.
Many of the social problems in
Wells' day still exist today. At that time, there were
coal miners who never saw the light of day.
"I felt it was important to focus
on the social message because Wells was concerned about
the working class. I left in the most important ideas and
concepts from his novel," Floss said.
Although the play has themes that
relate to current issues, it never gets bogged down in
delivering a message or a moral, Cheyne said.
Floss also takes the liberty of
including Wells as a character in the play. He sees Wells
as having overheard the story of the Traveller, he
said.
He draws this connection because
one of the characters in Wells' book was a newspaper
publisher and Wells was a journalist and a theater
critic.
Floss coordinated with sound
designer David Cash to create a musical background that
captures the tone and events described by the
Traveller.
"Cash made great selections and
there is a lot of music under the narration," he
said.
Costumes were designed by Beth
Lanzi, an area antique clothing dealer.
"Much of my costume is period
dress," Floss said.
One of the reasons Floss chose to
turn this story into a production is that he has always
been taken by H.G. Wells and "The Time Machine," even as
a child.
"Not too long ago I found a diorama
of "The Time Machine" that I had made in the third or
fourth grade," he said.
"I used to feel guilty for liking
science-fiction. I make no apologies anymore. It's a
terrific genre of literature," he said.
Floss received an enrichment award
from the HSU Foundation to help defray the costs of
bringing the show to campus.
Half of the proceeds will go to the
theater arts department.
"The money will be used for
scholarships. It's my way of giving back to the place
where I got my degrees," he said.
Tickets will be available at the
door for $10 general and $6 for students and seniors
Friday and Saturday. Tomorrow night is a special student
preview, and all seats will be $5.
Floss will also remain after
tomorrow's show to answer any questions and to hear
comments about the play.
