Back To The Precipice

Ten years ago, what Bob Stevenson and his students at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith put on stage was edgy, unusual, trend-setting -- and it still is.

Stevenson, then new to UAFS and the only theater instructor, wanted to encourage students to do what interested them. And that, he says, was comedy and Shakespeare -- "which I didn't want to do over and over." After some experience and some investigation, "I realized they really liked working on things that were brand new, and one of my expertises in grad school was creating work improvisationally. They really just latched onto it.

"We did a few short shows -- 15 minutes, 25 minutes -- and then they wanted to make one full length. I had never done that before, but we decided we would try it. I think it might have been the first full-length, original, physical show at the college level."

That show, "Corrigenda," written by Stevenson and then-students Kurt Smith and Michelle Greensmith, won national awards from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., following its debut in 2006 and was performed 11 times in 2006 and 2007 in Fort Smith, Conway and Tulsa, Okla. Now, it is celebrating its anniversary with a new production at UAFS, opening Thursday. The world has changed in many ways in a decade, Stevenson says.

"When we did it the first time, I was the only [theater] faculty member," he recalls. "I'm still kind of amazed we actually made it through it. Now we have two faculty and a part-time technical director, and it's still a lot of work.

"We also noticed some things we did last time that were out of necessity, and now we're able to make them better storytelling moments. It's nice to revisit something and find you left some things on the table to do better."

Finally, he says, "the process has improved evolutionarily," taking eight weeks to stage instead of six months. "But at it's heart, it's the same beast," Stevenson says, "and the kids are still responding the same way" -- with fear, then exhaustion, then excitement.

Described as a cross between "Cirque de Soleil" and "V for Vendetta," "Corrigenda" depicts a world run by an authoritarian state devoid of creativity, joy or love, Stevenson explains. After one woman decides to fight against the oppression, she travels to another land where villagers teach her to build a community and fight for what she believes is right.

"Our students will fly through the air on trapezes and silk, dance across the floor, skip over jump ropes, and many amazing feats, all set to a 90-minute sound score," Stevenson says. "There are clowns to make you laugh, singers to amaze you, and the brand of heartfelt and bold, emotional acting that theater at UAFS has become known for."

One of the great things about "millennials" as students, he adds, is "they all want each other to succeed," so the cast is very cohesive. He hopes audiences see that, but "the main thing I always hope audiences take away is just an understanding of what is possible."

"People don't think that these kinds of things occur, and even if somebody can hang from a trapeze and act, only professionals do," he says. "Not true. The power of humanity is vast. We underestimate it. And shows like this remind us that all of us have this ability inside of us to be spectacular."

NAN What's Up on 10/14/2016