By Dylan Stovall, Staff Writer
On Nov. 17 the Post Theatre Company brought high energy to the stage as they performed their fall musical, “Urinetown,” for a sold-out crowd. “Urinetown” is a 2001 satirical comedy about class disparity written by Greg Kotiss and composed by Mark Hollmann.
In Urinetown, the citizens are subjected to high fines by the corporate elites anytime they use the restroom. With public urination being criminalized, the people in the town are left to wrestle with municipal politics and the legal system as the company behind the strict laws claims that “It’s a Privilege to Pee.” This fast-paced play is full of antics as you see the town start a revolution where they demand the right to pee for free.
Junior musical theatre major Daphne Jackins–who plays McQueen, a rich member of the town–described the play’s premise.
“Urinetown is this modern world in a big city where there are regulations on water consumption so they have to pay to use public amenities and it is really tough for the poor people because the rich have unlimited access to it. Tensions begin to rise as people from opposing classes begin to come together and stir a commotion,” Jackins shared.
Senior musical theatre major Brecken Hummer plays the “run of the mill” cop, Officer Lockstock, who is in charge of keeping things order. Hummer shed light on his experience creating the show.
“I had such a great time working with everyone. They had such a great way of going through the scenes so we got a chance to improv certain moments in terms of how and why we were delivering it in specific ways. At first glance, my character seems like a typical cop and he is there for business. He has a certain moral compass where he feels like he has to go by this way for the public. His motives tend to lean towards trying to please everyone but he can only do so much. You see him one way and then he breaks out of it, almost like a creature,” Hummer noted.
The rest of the cast shared similar sentiments and love for one another and the process they were all a part of. Senior musical theatre major Ella Schnoor played Little Sally, a character who breaks down audience barriers through her narration, singing, and comedic wit.
“I just love the entire cast, crew and creative team for this show. They just made the process so special for me. It was so cool to see everyone in the cast come out of their shells and do something so awesome. The show itself comes off as kind of silly but it has strong messages that show where we could end up. I really hope the audience had a good time and went away thinking about the show. I don’t care what they think about it but if they are still thinking about it a day or two or even a week later that is the most important thing to me because it means we gave them something to think about. I think that is what we all ultimately wanted because there is so much that can be taken away and interpreted from this show,” Schnoor said.
The cast has their own interpretations of the show but are really happy with the takeaways audiences have experienced after coming out to one of the performances.
“Some of the themes touch on solidarity and unity, labor and workers rights, and political activism. It’s a comedy first but there is always some truth in comedy. I hope people reflect on their impact on the world and society. We need to focus on making it a good place so that we don’t head down a path that will take us to Urinetown and I really think people actually listened,” Jackins said.
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