Leave everything you know about Darwin—facts, theories, dates, and travels—in biology class. Georgetown Professor Natsu Onoda Power has undertaken an updated lesson on the father of evolution in the fittest way possible: a theatrical adaptation.
Writer-director Onoda Power’s world premiere of On the Origin of Species reinvents the way we think about evolution and the man who explained how it all started. Seven ensemble members take turns unraveling the story of Darwin’s life, creating a mixed media performance that incorporates everything from song and dance to Victorian Theatre.
From humble beginnings as an unmotivated student, a young Darwin finds his passion in nature and flourishes, finding himself as a young man on board the HMS Beagle en route to the Galapagos Islands. Upon his return to England, Darwin struggles to decide what to do next. Will he continue his travels, or settle down and get married? Should he address his mysterious chronic illness, or continue his writings? Most importantly, he must decide whether to publish his controversial work, On the Origins of Species.
Taylor Rasmussen (COL’16) brilliantly portrays the young Darwin, who, when first reading his invitation to board the HMS Beagle, reminds any viewer of their young high-school self armed with a college acceptance. With high hopes and extreme optimism, Rasmussen’s Darwin rushes around the stage with a boyish enthusiasm, daydreaming about the specimens he’ll find on his journeys—and yes, this scene has an intense dance procession with a gorilla and a panda.
The young Darwin is enthusiastic, grounded in particular beliefs, even if they’re contrary to the norm. When a debate over slavery arises between the Darwin and his captain in Brazil, Rasmussen’s Darwin firmly proclaims the injustice of slavery, revealing his abolitionist roots.
Walter Kelly (COL’16) arrives later in the nautical melodrama as an older, more sophisticated Darwin. Married to his first cousin Emma, played with an elegant and tender demeanor by Natalie Caceres (MSB ’16), Kelly’s portrayal of the older Darwin is, appropriately, more reserved than Rasmussen’s.
While struggling through illness and the death of his children, Kelly’s mature Darwin grapples with On the Origin of Species, fearing rejection from society should his controversial work be published. Darwin’s friends, however, intervene and help publish the work. They are especially motivated when another scientist, Alfred Wallace, mysteriously makes almost parallel discoveries.
Despite the serious subject matter, the play is rich in humor, with several moments of spectacle and wit. The ensemble effervescently matches one another in high energy, employing expert comedic timing throughout.
In one scene where Rasmussen’s Darwin and Captain Fitzroy, played by Wendell Krebs (COL ’15), are having a tense dinner, three of the other ensemble members lighten the mood. When the captain and Darwin speak, their heads whip from one side of the table to the other, in synch with the electronic background.
The production attempts to present Darwin’s discoveries and theories through creative means, successfully employing props and diverse means to tell this evolutionary story. Ever thought you would learn about natural selection through Peeps? Studying hybrids through figurine horses?
The ensemble, though dressed in Victorian garb, often uses modern-day devices and objects, like candy, and even an iPhone, to advance the story, to explain a point, or just to get a chuckle. Being open to these different means and media employed by the cast allows for a full appreciation of this evolved presentation of Darwin’s story.
One of the most interesting ideas included is the exploration of Darwin the man, not just the scientist. Onoda Power notes that Darwin reminds her of many students on Georgetown’s campus. “He was a brilliant but underachieving student, only because his interests did not align with his father’s or the society’s,” she said. “But then, when he found his path, he just blossomed.”
Onoda Power’s adaptation of On the Origins of Species evolves the story of a scientist into an entertaining melodrama documenting the trials of the father of evolution, making it a natural selection for the Theater Department’s “Where We’re From: A Season of Origins and Migrations.”
Gonda Theatre
Nov.6-Nov.9, Nov.12 – Nov.15
performingarts.georgetown.edu
Photo by Carolyn Zaccaro
