Script and Staging Divide House

THEATER

A House Divided

lyrics by Amanda Schaffer

score by Randy Eng

at the Agassiz Theater

May 13 and 14 at 8 p.m.

Supposedly, academia champions the ideals of truth and knowledge in a world overrun by political intrigues and commercial sellouts. But even this insular, scholarly community cannot keep out the influences of popular culture and politics. In fact, the most educated members of society can become the most persuasive, and thereby dangerous, proponents of irrational ideology. The musical A House Divided examines in closer detail the reactions of the fictional Riverside College to such propaganda and the mass hysteria that characterized the anti-Communist McCarthy era.

The story revolves around David Williams, an American history professor under siege by his colleagues and the board of trustees for his refusal to sign a loyalty oath. Played by Jason Cooper, David evinces all the moist-eyed idealism of a true patriot; in both his home and classroom, he has large portraits of his personal hero, Abraham Lincoln, and teaches to his students a mixture of red-white-and-blue rhetoric and history. His wife Elisabeth (Amy Brown) and daughter Joanne (Genevieve Roach) complete the wholesome family portrait. But a closer inspection of the Williams reveals the growing stress fractures between the family members.

Unfortunately, the technical problems of the musical impede the presentation and examination of the situation. Although the orchestra plays from the upper balcony of the Agassiz Theater, the acoustics of the auditorium and the size of the orchestra overwhelm the singers nonetheless. Their sung words remain buried under the sheer volume of the instruments; since the musical has little spoken dialogue to clarify the characters' identities and actions, much of the plot goes unexplained.

The score itself contributes to this problem. The musical composition is richly textured and varied, an intriguing mixture of jazz and classical influences that enhances both the emotional and physical dynamics of the story. However, the composer Randy Eng's complex jazz style demands an immense amount of flexibility and vocal range from the performers. Brown in particular sings the difficult melodies with clarity and accuracy, but even she has some trouble carrying off the double notes in pitch. Although the singing improves through the course of the performance, all the singers struggle noticeably at one time or another just to finish a phrase.

As a result, the actual lyrics, written by Amanda Schaffer, sound fragmented and make little sense; the occasional intelligibility of the lines puts undue emphasis on certain words, unintentionally generating a melodramatic effect. At times, the singers seem burdened not only by the orchestra's volume, but also by the words of the songs themselves. Changing some of the awkward lyrics into spoken parts might reduce the vocal strain on the singers and help improve the coherence of the story.

Yet setting these technical difficulties aside, the musical does take an unconventional subject for a musical, yet nevertheless offers insight into the politics of conflicting ideologies and ambitions in academia. It cleverly relates the issues and events of another generation to contemporary times, such as Harvard's own ongoing battle over gender discrimination in granting tenure. Overall, A House Divided is a musical divided between its technical shortcomings and innovative potential.