Many children have imaginary friends, but not all of those friends have a cocaine addiction.
Wednesday, Ohio University’s School of Theater presents its first main-stage show of the year, Mr. Marmalade.
The dark comedy follows the story of a 4-year-old girl named Lucy, played by Emma Safford, a senior studying theater performance, and her imaginary friend Mr. Marmalade, played by Phillip Johnson, a senior studying theater
performance. Lucy creates Mr. Marmalade to become her companion, but is saddened when he becomes too busy with a cocaine addiction and a porn stash to spend time with her.
Lucy also meets a 7-year-old named Larry, played by Greg Atkin, a junior studying theater performance, who is the youngest person to attempt suicide in the state of New Jersey. He too has a mischievous imaginary friend of his own.
The show fits well into a season of diverse genres, said Dennis Delaney, production manager for the School of Theater.
“We have a lot of great shows this year, and we’re starting it off with (Mr. Marmalade),” Delaney said. “I think a lot of people are going to really enjoy and think about it.”
Because the play focuses on serious topics, director David Haugen said the dark nature of the comedy proved to be a challenge at first.
“It’s sometimes hard to get people to laugh at things that make them uncomfortable,” Haugen said.
Despite the challenging nature of the show, Haugen said that he thinks the genre of the play is one that will appeal to college students.
“I think young people appreciate dark comedy; it’s a way for us to laugh at the difficulties in the world,” he said.
Though Haugen was careful not to give too much away, he said that audiences will be surprised and intrigued by the set design and personal touches in the show.
One of the personal touches came in the form of the costumes, which are created to make the actors look like children. This element proved to be a challenge, said Rebecca Whittington, costume designer for the show.
“I used a lot of things that are very specifically childlike,” Whittington said. “It was really about trying to capture more of a little-kid essence despite the size differences.”
Though those in the audience might not have ever had a cocaine-addicted imaginary friend, Haugen said he hopes the audience will take something away from the show.
“I hope that people have a good time; I hope they enjoy it,” Haugen said. “I think the playwright has a very specific outlook on the world, and I hope that comes across.”
ks574510@ohiou.edu
