“The Captive,” April 7 through 10

Thursday, April 7, through Sunday, April 10

Augustana College's Honkamp Myhre Black Box Theatre, 3750 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island IL

A modern adaptation of one of the most notorious-for-its-time works in theatre history – and one boasting music and choreography created specifically for its area debut – the student-produced The Captive will enjoy an April 7 through 10 run at Augustana College, this 1926 Édouard Bourdel melodrama a critically acclaimed work whose original New York run prompted the adoption of a state law dealing with obscenity.

In The Captive, our protagonist Irene is a lesbian tortured by her feelings for Madame d'Aiguines, and trapped in her engagement to Jacques. Yet when Irene refuses to leave Paris citing a dubious romantic attachment, her father’s worst suspicions don’t begin to scratch the surface of his daughter's hidden pain. In this modern adaptation of a melodrama that was truly ahead of its time, a woman struggles against her passion: a love she cannot escape and yet dares not speak.

Bournet's work debuted at the Empire Theatre in New York in September of 1926 and originally starred Helen Menken as Irene and Basil Rathbone (later famed for his portrayals of Sherlock Holmes) as Jacques. The Captive ran for 160 performances and was among the first Broadway plays to have female homosexuality as its subject, and the New York Times' Brooks Atkinson wrote in his rave review that "the quality of the performance and the treatment of the theme have cleared the air like a northwestern breeze." Yet in February of the following year, Menken and Rathbone were in middle of the show's second act when police marched onto the stage and arrested the pair, with attorneys for The Captive eventually securing their release by agreeing with the office of the District Attorney to withdraw their play from the stage. A censorship campaign against plays including The Captive consequently prompted the initiation of Wales Padlock Act, a state law that had the effect of banning depictions of homosexuality in theatres, and allowed for the arrest and prosecution of any actors or producers involved in an "immoral drama."

Directing The Captive's area presentation is Augustana College senior Kennan Ellis, who played the challenging title role in last fall's Macbeth and also appeared in the college's She Kills Monsters, The Crucible, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Playing Irene in Ellis' production is Augustana junior Kaitlin Jacobson, who previously appeared in the theatre department's Miss Nelson Is Missing! and 35mm: A Musical Exhibition, with additional members of the ensemble including Brian Hefferman, Titus Jilderda, Jack McCurdy, Ally McPeak, Cece Olvera, Gianna Perez, Rob Stanislawski, and Emma Watts. And with Augustana alumna Emily Keiner serving as The Captive's movement choreographer, other members of the show's creative team include: dance captain Camryn MacLean; assistant director and dramaturg Jessa Simon; lighting designer Riley Scranton; sound designer Lindsey Edwards; music composer Jeff Flinchem; costume and makeup designer Jacqueline Isaacson; and props master Zachary Misner.

The Captive will be performed in Augustana College's Honkamp Myhre Black Box Theatre, located in the Brunner Theatre Center, April 7 through 10, with performances Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Admission is $5-15, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)794-7306 and visiting Augustana,edu/tickets.