A Fairy Parody of Party Politics

Forget “Saturday Night Live.” The Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players are staging a different, unique kind of political satire with “Iolanthe, or the Peer and the Peri,” which will run in the Agassiz Theatre through Dec. 14.

In the fanciful world of “Iolanthe,” an intermingling of members of Parliament and fairies spurs a commentary on politics hidden beneath a layer of hilarity and madness. According to director Benjamin T. Morris ’09, the group pushed to perform “Iolanthe” this semester for exactly that reason. “It’s traditionally a spring show, but the spring is a slightly smaller production,” he says. “We decided to do it in the fall this year. One reason is political relevance; it’s something that’s really compelling.”

This political message is conveyed through the story of Strephon, a young shepherd and the son of the immortal fairy Iolanthe. When his love, Phyllis, sees him embracing the perpetually youthful Iolanthe, she assumes him to be unfaithful. With the help of the fairies, the shepherd must win her back while keeping her away from eager pursuers in Parliament.

“This is one of their funniest shows, but it also parodies the political system so well,” producer Jonathan M. Roberts ’09 says. “It’s very timely, so I hope audiences see that and take something away.”

“Coming off an election year where we saw a two-party system center stage, it felt even more relevant,” Morris says. “This show very much lampoons the two-party system in Britain at the same time as it lampoons all of the relevant points of discussion within the past year. It’s amazing that the things Gilbert and Sullivan were making fun of 100 years ago are still relevant today.”

To enhance this darker political message, Morris and music director David H. Miller ’11 decided to include a deleted song, “Fold Your Flapping Wings.” Infrequently performed, the song was cut early in the show’s initial run because reviewers found it too bleak for a light comic operetta.

“In today’s cultural climate, a song being too dark is not a good reason to not do it,” Morris says. “The song emphasizes the more serious side and the social commentary of the show.”

Morris and Miller are also hoping to bring back the classic Gilbert and Sullivan tradition of encores, or repeat performances of the most popular or exciting songs that get progressively faster and more difficult. “For a lot of reasons they’ve fallen out of favor recently, but it’s one of the areas where we’re trying something different,” Morris says.

“Encores are a great opportunity to play with the material and a way to bring a little more personality to the show. One of the issues with material like this is people are so familiar with it, so the challenge is to give the audience what they’re expecting and will appreciate from the production, but also to do justice to the show and do something new and fresh. I think that’s very much what we’re doing.”

To add to the show’s freshness, the Players sought out the help of professional set painter Peter Miller. Miller led two workshops, the first on set design and the second on set painting. “He taught us very practical approaches, like how to consider different perspectives in the theatre, how to consider color, and how to go about rendering your set design concept,” says first-time set designer Stephany Y. Lin ’11, who cites Art Nouveau designs as inspiration for her concept.

“‘Iolanthe’ has a very fantastical, imaginative premise, so I wanted to create a sense of other-worldliness,” Lin says. The first act is set in a forest, while the second takes place in London, although the change between the two acts is minimal to preserve the same whimsical feeling throughout the show.

Using Miller’s advice and the unique demands of the Agassiz Theatre’s odd dimensions as her starting point, Lin took into account all views from the audience when designing. “The set is dominated by two trees on either side of the stage,” she says. “The backdrops and sidedrops are painted like a watercolor wash to make the whole set feel softer and more dream-like.”

Those involved hope this fairy fantasy and the show’s darker political reality will coalesce into an enriching, enjoyable experience.

“Gilbert and Sullivan were all about silliness and humor and parodying things, and I think that really comes across in our production,” says Matthew C. Stone ’11, who plays the Lord Chancellor. “It’s simply a delightful evening of fun characters, zany situations, and beautiful music. We’re having a great time performing it, and I think when the cast finds the show fun, the audience does as well.”