NEW ACTING/DIRECTING FACULTY FONTAINE SYER CONQUERS HER FIRST IU PRODUCTION

By Tom Robson 

This past fall, professional actor and director Fontaine Syer joined the IU Department of Theatre and Drama faculty. In her first two semesters she has applied her vast professional experience to courses in both acting and directing, inspiring and challenging students to achieve new levels of artistic success.

She Stoops to Conquer marks Syer's first production in Bloomington. The department faculty selected Oliver Goldsmith's eighteenth-century comedy before hiring Syer, a situation that could present a challenge to a less-experienced director. About tackling a project she did not select herself, Syer says, “If directors only got to work on plays they picked none of us would ever earn a living. I have a lot of experience doing this.” She emphasizes that the timeless nature of this comedy made it easy to connect with: “In any play still around after 300 years there has to be some strengths there. It's your job to find those things and build on them.”

Among those strengths, Syer recognizes the universality of the comedy in the text. When asked about what the play has to say to a twenty-first-century university audience, she responded, “That sex and falling in love are pretty much the same since people were created. It doesn't ever go smoothly. I think Goldsmith had a pretty wild time doing it.” In her work on the play she has created a production that faithfully honors the playwright's words, but never loses sight of the other elements of comedy to maximize the audience's appreciation of the play. She says, “This play encompasses everything from real wit to broad pratfalls in terms of comedy. It's fun to be working on something with that breadth.”

The students in the production could not be happier to work with this outstanding addition to the department. Third-year M.F.A. student Brendan Pentzell, who plays Mr. Hardcastle, says, “She has a wonderful eye as a director with an actor's insight.” This 'actor's insight,' developed over years of experience as an actor as well as a director, leads to Syer giving eminently actable direction. Her actors are always clear as to what she wants, leading to more quickly-realized characters. Other students in the cast praise Syer for her honesty. Ph.D. student Chris Hatch, who actually acted for Syer two years ago at the Utah Shakespearean Festival, says, “If she says something's good, you can trust it, because she'll also be honest with you when something's bad, and I just appreciate that honesty."

Adjusting to the different production climate of educational theatre has certainly been a learning experience for Syer, who has leapt into all aspects of the university theatre experience with enthusiasm. She can regularly be seen working with students privately in her office, and she frequently attends theatre events in Indianapolis and Louisville with graduate students. Her presence has generated a new wave of excitement in the department, with students seeking out both her classes and productions. With She Stoops to Conquer, Syer will give Bloomington audiences the first taste of her talents.

• The People of the Production
• Press Release
• She Stoops to Conquer Homepage
• Meet the MFA: Reneé Racan Rodriguez
• Meet the MFA: Brendan Pentzell (Mr. Hardcastle)
• Meet the MFA: Gregory C. Brenchley, Lighting Designer
• PRESHOW LECTURE BY ROGER HERZEL