Unexpected combinations

Both are from well-off families but are separated through life because of conflicting circumstances. Andrew is pressured by his father to become a lawyer, so he does and moves to Japan. He marries a woman he meets there. Melissa, out of spite, then marries and has a family.

As their lives progress, Andrew's father passes away and he decides to leave the law offices to pursue a life as a politician. He divorces and remarries a woman who is a model political wife.

No Refund Theatre

Time: 8 p.m.

Date: Today, tomorrow

Place: 111 Forum

"The two are never given an easy time to say 'I love you' to each other in life," said Luke Davin (senior-film video and theatre) who plays Andrew. "The letters show a veiled sense of love."

The audience begins to understand that although Melissa and Andrew are friends, their true love is for each other. They cheat on their spouses to have an affair with each other, however the affair ends when Andrew is elected senator.

"He does not allow himself to give his emotions to Melissa because he puts his job in front of them," Davin said.

Melissa becomes an alcoholic and ends up in a mental institution after leaving her husband and losing her children in the divorce.

"The play demonstrates the need to have a strong relationship with people," said Director Samantha Iivari. "It shows that friendships can last a lifetime."

Iivari (junior-mechanical engineering) distinguishes this play from other NRT plays because it is a serious drama with little comedy.

The second half of the night will be more open to audience interpretation as Free Entry and Handkerchief of Clouds will be performed from the Dada movement.

"Dada is completely abstract so we thought, why not put it back to back with something completely opposite?" Iivari said.

Dada is an artistic and literary movement that sought to discover genuine reality by abolishing the traditional culture and aesthetic forms. The movement lasted from 1916-1923 in Europe, predominantly in France and Germany.

The movement sought to get rid of logic in theatre and art. The plays stressed spontaneity and often actors didn't rehearse or have set scripts, said Director Rob Pugh.

"By directing I have a definite vision but the audience can still interpret
the plays different ways," Pugh (junior-marketing and international business) said.

Free Entry by Roger Vitrac, depicts seven different scenes in which six are dream sequences. There are three characters, who each reenact two of their dreams, but leave it to the audience to interpret them.

Davin also has a role in this production and plays Henry, a man who is sleeping with his best friend's wife.

"This play is totally different than Love Letters. Love Letters has normal characters with definite personality. Dada is totally different. You have to define and structure the character because the characters are not people you would find everyday," Davin said.

The second Dada play, Handkerchief of Clouds by Tristan Tzara, is a 15-act tragedy. The plot of the play concerns a poet who only loves things, language and love itself.

"He is in love with the idea of love, but he doesn't want to go through the pain of it," said Mike Richards (sophomore-English and theatre), who plays the poet.

The poet meets a woman and falls in love with her. She loves him too, but he doesn't realize it. Throughout the play, commentators comment on every act to help the audience understand what is going on in the plot.

Richards said this play is very different from anything he has done before.

"The play demonstrates that the world doesn't make sense, so the script doesn't make sense," Richards said.

He enjoys the abstractness of the script because it makes sense without actually making sense.

"The audience needs to understand that it is important to come to the play with the understanding that it is okay
not to get it like other plays," Richards said.

The plays will be performed at 8 tonight and tomorrow night in 111 Forum. Admission is free and open to the public.