The Middlebury Campus

Issue date: 2/14/07 Section: Arts

Media Credit: Ilhan Kim Ben Davis '07 threatens the life of Will Damron '09 in "On the Open Road" [Click to enlarge]

Filled with acute emotion, clever dialogue and stirring philosophy, the performance of "On The Open Road," directed by Evan Dumouchel '06, pierced the audience with its intense depiction of the physical and emotional journey two men endure in their search for freedom. The play, written by Steve Tesich, is set during the Civil War and details the journey of two men, Al and Angel, through a war-ravaged landscape as they hope to eventually reach the Land of the Free. The play can be seen as a visualization of the human conflict between the reason of the mind, the emotion of the heart and the perils of indifference. Al lives in a world of composed reason, seeing and caring for nothing but facts and his safe one-sided relationship with art. Angel, however, responds expressively to the world around him and can hardly help the strength and careless tendencies of his emotions. The conflicting relationship between the two men unravels throughout their journey, reflecting with insightful intensity the internal struggle of humanity.

Middlebury's performance of "On the Open Road" managed to inspiringly portray Tesich's message, mainly through the incredible acting. Ben Davis '07 (Al) and Will Damron '09 (Angel) both delivered real and moving performances. The two worked wonderfully together, the lucidity and condescension of Davis countered perfectly with the blunt emotion and primitiveness of Damron. At first Damron's character seemed overacted compared to the composed subtly of Davis, but as the play continued and their characters developed, the purity and necessary artlessness of Damron's performance proved its significance. Both actors exhibited superior talent and unwavering energy as the play constantly demanded their concentration, emotion and sincerity in every scene - not once was a line noticeably fumbled or character dropped. Davis did a particularly stunning job with the presentation of his character, spouting off impassioned speeches, filled with philosophical and historic ideas that never wavered in their energy and clarity.

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