During the days of October 9-13, the Stockton Theatre Club put on Walter Wykes’ tragicomedy, The Profession in the experimental theatre. It was directed by Dan Cerullo, and featured three actors, Jeremy Rotolo, Taylor Cawley, and Ryan Gorman. The second night of the show I helped sell concessions as well as watching the show. The fifth night I went again, but solely as an audience member. The first night was fun and I saw a lot of the comedy and laughed.
Moments were absolutely hysterical, Taylor’s facial expressions were beyond compare, and Jeremy’s timid sense of being was always there for a laugh, while Ryan’s intimidating nature only increased the comedy with him and Jeremy. While the show had its serious moments it was on an overall, funny and quite enjoyable. I found myself laughing as Taylor, portraying the character of Ibid, would creepily smile her way through lines. I couldn’t take Jeremy too seriously as I watched his character of Eugene fumble over words in the beginning, laughing the whole time. Ryan too, had a smile on my face as he played Schäffer, found a way to always get just a little too close to Eugene, and had the audience laughing. The first night I saw the show was full of smiles and laughter, while the second night of seeing the show brought me something entirely different.
The second night of the show brought about a whole new set of emotions. Instead of seeing the comedy I found a more disturbing show. I found Ryan’s booming voice chilling, Taylor’s eerie smile and constant reactions that were just too quick, Jeremy’s questioning of power and society. The show and the plot continually brought my mind to darker places, as the motives behind actions switched from comical to tragic. The monologues became disturbing and unnerving, as the cruel side of humanity was revealed.
The longer I watched the show the more disturbed and moved I felt. Instead of comedy I found a deeper meaning. It was amazing how much a show can change in your mind as you view it more than once. I wish I could have gone all of the nights to see a greater progression in my views of the show. Theatre is an amazing thing, and the change and progression in a show is even more amazing. I cannot wait for the upcoming show, Hello Herman.