This weekend DeBaun auditorium plays host to Theta Alpha Phi’s newest performance of “Chess.” The show opens Friday September 25 at 8:00 PM and and will be shown again on Saturday at 8:00 PM.
“Chess” is a show full of music, drama, and comedy as it takes you through the story about world famous chess players whose lives get mixed up in an era of espionage and rivalry. The competitors battle for not only a game, but also for the love of a woman and peace of mind. When their worlds all collide, they must make a decision of what victories they can stand to achieve and what others should be sacrificed.
“Chess” explores the confrontation between Russia and the United States as members of each country face off in a game of, that’s right, chess. Stevens alum Michael Paulauski portrays the Russian champion Anatoly who grows fond of a Hungarian-American player Florence, played by alum Barbara Carames. She originally arrives with the American champion Freddie, Eric Anderson, but finds she cannot stand Freddie’s new found ego and becomes enchanted by Anatoly. The music is written by Benny Anderson and features the popular “One Night in Bangkok.” As scenes change, an image is projected to the background to represent the location with chess squares lining the sides of the images. This type of background projection is new to the DeBaun stage and proved to help this production as it transitioned to multiple locations in each scene.
“Chess” will be performed by Stevens’ theater fraternity Theta Alpha Phi, while the rest of the cast, ensemble, orchestra, and crew will consist of members of the Stevens community. TAP consists of members who have excelled in the performing arts at Stevens while maintaining a good academic standing. TAP at Stevens is the first chapter in New Jersey as well as the first at a technology school.
Tickets for the show can be purchased at the door for $5.00 for Students and Seniors and $10 for general admission. For those looking to see more of the performing arts, the Stevens Dramatic Society will be performing the drama “Arcadia” from November 12 to 14.
