This year, Duke Players will be performing Erin Courtney's “Demon Baby” for their orientation week show. The performance group, part of the Theater Studies department, hopes the play's themes of adaptation will both welcome and comfort incoming freshmen during their adjustment to the Duke lifestyle.
The play tells the story of a young couple, Wren and Art, as they adjust to life in London after moving from America. Although Art thrives in his new job, Wren has trouble adjusting to the new lifestyle. She is a children’s author, working from home, and has trouble concentrating on her work. In fact, instead of working, she watches television all day. Eventually, this attitude to her new environment causes Wren's distress to take the form of a demon baby. At first, this baby just sits on Wren’s chest and mimics her, calling her anxiety and depression into attention. By the end of the play, though, the demon baby has shocked Wren into interacting with the world in an interesting yet definitively evil way.
Thomas Kavanagh, the director of the play, noted his excitement that the Duke Player Council picked this play. It was Kavanagh’s first choice, as he believes it will provide a deep and meaningful experience for the incoming freshmen.
“It was perfect for the orientation show experience,” he said. “It really applies to living in a new environment with new people.”
The play makes heavy use of visual metaphor, in particular the demon baby, to illustrate Wren’s experiences as her new environment seems to destroy her goals and motivations. Kavanagh noted that these visuals emphasize the fact that “her universe is not quite her own.” He plans to “use as much of the visual experience as possible to bring out the metaphor.”
Although at times the play is certainly dark and creepy, it also contains a strong sense of subtle comedy. Many of these comedic elements come simply from the plain ridiculousness of the demon baby, but the more interesting humor pokes fun at the social life of the middle class.
“There’s a sense that the play has captured the awkwardness of everyday speech patterns,” said Kavanagh. “There is a seamless transition between the psyche of the main character and her surroundings. The transition is jarring enough to be funny and creepy at times.”
In an interesting, innovative interpretation of the play, Thomas has decided to cast two actresses in the role of the demon baby. Mina Ezikpe plays a shadow-like projection of Wren to emphasize her anxiety and inner struggle, while Rachel Freedman plays the part of the actual baby. Both of these roles combine to help Wren eventually embrace an environment that she initially feels is bizarre.
The executive producer of Duke Players, Mike Myers, also has high hopes for the freshmen's response to the play. He noted how different audiences may take on more comedic or dark interpretations of the play, but he believes that all responses will be positive.
When discussing their choice of Thomas as director of the orientation show, Myers noted that, “[Thomas] wanted to take the O-show in a different direction. It’s a bit darker than the very lighthearted shows that we often do.”
Although orientation week is designed for first-year students, all are welcome to see “Demon Baby.”
“A lot of upperclassman see the play as well,” Myers said. “They relive the first year experience from a different perspective. The play also applies to future processes of adjustment.”
Kavanagh mirrored these sentiments and added that the play might comfort freshmen as they experience a disconnect between the booklets of information given to them about adjusting to life at Duke and the actual Duke experience.
"The play is personal for me as someone who definitely struggled to adjust to an independent life at the university," said Kavanagh. "I can’t accept the fact that I am the only person to experience that,”
"Demon Baby" will show at Brody Theater during orientation week and the first week of classes. Admission is free.
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