From the throes of budding romance complicated by a tragic accident in Small Death to the aftermath of a long-term partner abandoned at the altar in I Don’t, the McGill Drama Festival (MDF), which took place from March 24 to 28, brought something to the table for everybody. Exploring the ups and downs of romance, mortality, and politics, the ambitious lineup of plays showcased a variety of student talent, with each play written, directed, and produced entirely by students.
On the comedic end of the spectrum, The Great God Pan is Dead imagines a handful of academics eulogizing their professor-turned-comedian former colleague (complicated by the presence of that colleague’s ghost at the funeral). On the flip side, Hesperus, Phosphorus! went full Downton Abbey, featuring a tumultuous romance between a Russian countess and her Marxist tutor in the final years of the Tsar’s reign. If linear storytelling isn’t your thing, Things Aren’t Looking Too Good flips between moments of a young woman’s life, unfolding its story through fragments and glimpses.
Alexis Mezzarobba, U3 Science and the writer behind Dress Rehearsal, spoke to The Tribune about the challenges and rewards of writing a comedy, and the anxiety that comes with hoping people will enjoy your jokes as much as you do. Luckily for Mezzarobba, it seems people did—Dress Rehearsal won both the Best Script and Best Directing awards.
“It’s so rewarding to hear the roars of laughter come to life when it all started as some words on a Google Doc I wrote as I was procrastinating my other tasks,” Mezzarobba added. “I’m just glad people found it funny.”
She also spoke on the experimental nature of the script, playing with the boundaries between audience and cast.
“Dress Rehearsal is interesting because although it is a simple concept, the spontaneity makes it special,” Mezzarobba wrote in a statement to The Tribune. “Starting with a regular play, then realizing it’s about the actors working on the play and not the play itself, then discovering that they all have inner issues that need to be worked through, […] you never know what’s going to happen next. It gave me the opportunity to test the limits of live performance.”
The show’s director, Danielle Brooks (U3 Arts) emphasized the importance of the cast and crew coming together to make this unique production shine.
“I had so much fun putting that show together, and this year has been just as exciting,” she wrote. “Directing Dress Rehearsal with such a great team has been a blast. Everyone really understood the comedic style of the piece, and what we needed to put into it to make it stand out.”
The Tribune also spoke to Siya Pandit, U2 Arts and coordinator of the McGill Drama Festival, about putting on a festival with so many moving pieces.
“We have a little community we build each year with everyone involved,” Pandit said. “It is so much fun running into other actors backstage and wishing them luck, seeing everyone’s faces during their bows, and getting to congratulate everyone on a job well done.”
While there’s a lot to do just to keep the lights running for each of the six productions, Pandit emphasized that having students come together and collaborate for the festival makes it all worth it.
“I have always loved MDF. I’ve been taking part in it since my first year at McGill, and each year, I get to meet so many talented people,” Pandit said. “Especially as governments and institutions cut funding for the performing arts, I think it is so important to remind students that there is a community of people who care and who will support them. Student theatre such as Players’ gives students a chance to practice their craft.”
