Theatergoers often do not expect screens, like movie-goers do not find screens and a projector at a stage production. Yet, the pioneering Philip Church, a longtime theater professor at FIU, is expanding his artistic expertise by diving into film. His written adaptation of “The Yellow Wallpaper”, a classic short story about a woman ascending into insanity in a yellow room, was an immersive experience with multiple screens.
From Sept. 21 to Oct. 9, the show debuted at FIU’s Mary Anne Wolfe Theatre in the Biscayne Bay Campus and various local Miami locations like the Coral Gables Library and Westchester Cultural Arts Center.
Ethan Torres, a hospitality major here at FIU and pursuing a musical certification as well, discussed his work as “The Yellow Wallpaper” video editor, describing his multiple screen editing as “not easy” yet “very worth it, just for once you see it all put all together, [it] really immerses you more than seeing a blank screen with actors, …… we (audience members) can actually see what’s going on.”.
Torres explained how the show offers the benefit of both live theater and the film experience with the screens in the back. He used the playful analogy of “fusion food” how the blend of art forms comes together to create an original experience: “You gotta have the right people, with all the right talents, mixing everything together.”
The actress and screens toured all around Miami, ending its run at a National Alliance on Mental Illness benefit. “The Yellow Wallpaper” was created not simply as a viewing experience yet to raise awareness of mental health, especially for women whose depressive symptoms are often overlooked.
Mental health awareness was one of the main reasons Torres decided to take on the project.
“I hope it will bring about awareness about mental health,” said Torres. “The story happens in the 1800s when mental health was considered a joke and what happens when the protagonist is considered a treatment for post-marital depression. Although we’ve come a long way…I still think mental health is an important issue.”
Students and Miami residents viewed the story free of charge and educated themselves on historical mental health treatment, knowing that mental struggles are still a taboo yet a crucial issue in the lives of many.
