?Urinetown? tells a tale of ?unlikely love,? capitalist greed and a Marxist revolution in a world havocked by drought. In the play, townspeople are forced by environmental circumstance, as well as police state over-sight, to do ?their duty? in public toilets. As the character of Bobby, played by junior Andrew Fusco, said, ?[You can?t] pee for free.? Wayne Tetrick, marketing and outreach coordinator for the Royall Tyler Theatre, said, ?Bobby, he?s so good.? ?Urinetown? itself, as the character of Little Sally, played by sophomore Kaitie Bessette, said, ?is a metaphysical place.? When the evil businessmen of Urine Good Company dispose of political non-conformists they say they are being hauled off to Urinetown. Meanwhile, the revolution is literally driven underground, as Bobby Strong and his followers camp out in the sewers. The UVM theater department opted to have sets with few props, indicating scene changes with only projected backdrops. One scene, depicting a police search at night, is portrayed with the stage in complete darkness with the exception of a handful of patrolling flashlights. Authoritarian messages appear on the set?s backdrop during scene changes. One warned, ?Charging fees as we please is our right. It?s not wrong.?Wednesday night?s dress rehearsal audience laughed at the musical?s banter and physical comedy, such as when the character of Penelope Pennywise, played by senior Hope Salvan, threatened, ?If you gotta go, you gotta go through me.? ?It was a fantastic production with an equally talented cast,? sophomore Rachel Feins said. ?Everything was done exceptionally well ? sound, lights and the live band.??Urinetown,? the musical, opened at the Royall Tyler Theatre March 13 and will close March 23. Specific dates and times are available at uvmtheatre.org. Those who choose to attend the musical March 20 will also be treated to a post-show discussion on topics of water usage and water issues awareness. The talk will utilize conditions depicted in the play to achieve environmentally conscious ends, Tetrick said.The show?s director, Gregory Ramos, will lead the talk, along with Eric Howe, an environmental analyst with the Lake Champlain Basin Program. Neil Kamman, a program manager in the watershed management division at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, and Liz Royer, a source protection specialist for the Vermont Rural Water Association, will also participate.
