Long Beach City College’s performing arts department will be closing its final production of the spring semester on Sunday, concluding not just another show, but acting careers for students at LBCC altogether.
The final spring semester production follows a protagonist only identified as a young woman as she faces and challenges the societal standards of a machine society.
With graduation right around the corner, many students performed for the last time as LBCC students, making it a much more memorable and intense play for some.
“I’m really going to miss LBCC, I’ve done a lot of plays here, but this has been my favorite play thus far.” Tijera Giddens-Byers, the play’s lead actress said.
Others involved behind the scenes expressed similar sentiments.
“Sometimes it’s sad. You’ll get along with people really well, you’ll get close to people and then it’s like, okay see ya,” Mady Lopez, deck crew supervisor and stagehand said.
Lead actress Tijera Giddens-Byers also opened up about how she was able to relate to the protagonist in her own life.
“The beginning portion where it’s like she feels like she has to settle with a man because that’s how life is,” said Tijera. “I’ve experienced it especially when I was younger. That kind of stuff puts a lot of pressure on me and it’s scary.”
Giddens-Byers mentioned that although the main character is a young woman, the play is able to relate to a diverse audience.
“It is easy to relate to as a woman but I feel like other genders can relate to it as well, everyone feels societal pressures,” said Giddens-Byers.
This production of Machinal was directed by Jeff Paul with the original play written by Sophie Treadwell in 1928.
One of the primary goals of director Paul for the play was to modernize Machinal while still persevering Treadwell’s fundamental ideas of expressionism.
“She (Treadwell) invented Expressionist theater, it is less realistic, there is still a story and there’s still characters, but they are not necessarily portrayed in an honest way like we’re used to watching,” Pau said.
“Expressionist theater kinda takes what is going on inside of the main character or what they want the audience to feel. This play is designed to create meaning in the eye of the beholder. It is about the oppression of the individual in a machine society.”
According to Paul the biggest change in LBCC’s version of Machinal is the addition of an ensemble, which was done to have the ensemble reflect the main character’s thoughts and feelings.
An ensemble is a group that does not typically have speaking lines, but rather sings and dances in unison in the background.
One of the ensemble members Barnabas Long expressed how while his character’s actions were extreme, the motivations behind it were somewhat understandable.
“Sometimes you feel trapped, you do crazy things, not that is justified, but like you can emphasize and sympathize and it’s like I get it.” Long said.
The final showing of Machinal will be Sunday at 2:00 pm in the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium, those interested can purchase tickets at $15 for general admission and $10 for students.