Theatre students performing in the recently performed play “Between the Lines,” which debuted at the Con Nov. 13 through Nov. 17
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Doane’s first musical of the year, “Between the Lines,” debuted on Nov. 14. It stars sophomore Olivia Jones and Junior Cody Lee Crist and follows high school junior Delilah as she moves to a new school following her parents’ divorce. Escaping the real world through books Deliah falls in love with Prince Oliver in the titular book “Between the Lines.”
The set shifts and changes as the fantasy world bleeds into the real one. Creative set pieces included bookshelves transformed into castle walls and giant books that revealed doorways. Additionally, as the plot continues Prince Oliver, or Ollie as he tells Delilah to refer to him, expresses his wishes to leave his story.
Each character in the real world has a mirror counterpart in the fantasy world, deepening the similarities between the two worlds. Often the thoughts and feelings they can’t express in the real world are portrayed in the fantasy world and vice versa.
“Lots of people escape into fiction but there’s a difference between a distraction and an obsession,” freshman Jimmy Pierce said.
In the fictional world, he’s Rapskullio, an evil wizard with a butterfly obsession and a magic paintbrush. However, he acts as the school counselor and a source of guidance for Deliah in the real world.
Things begin to spiral out of control in the second act as Ollie and Delilah have to see if they have the strength to rewrite their stories. However, the witty and irreverent humor keeps the audience laughing throughout. The show’s jokes provide a shocking juxtaposition as children’s fairytale characters tell very adult jokes.
Despite the humor and fantastical plot, the show lends itself to some heartfelt moments. Exploring human connections is at the core of this show and the portrayal of relationships is relatable and tear-jerking.
The musical received a standing ovation on its opening night where President Roger Hughes was in attendance. The strong performances from the cast and the creative execution will not be forgotten anytime soon.
Doane Theatre will be back in late February with the play “She Kills Monsters,” which promises to be another enchanting and empowering production.
