This year, Paris Peet put on the show “Act a Lady” for the theater practicum at Memorial Auditorium.

The show revolves around three men who put on a yearly play for the people of their small Minnesota town because they find art so important.

The show that they choose to produce is about women. In order to put it on, the men must “Act a Lady.”

As this comedic and insightful play within a play unravels, the audience discovers, along with the characters, the gender roles that are impressed upon people by society as well as how being different is often not acceptable and that breaking through these societal molds is necessary.

The three main characters, Casper, True and Miles begin to transform as people.

The seemingly strangest character, Casper, struggles as he shows very feminine tendencies and then homosexual interaction with one of his counterparts.

One of the most gripping scenes is where True tries to change Casper.

He pulls out a picture of Mary Pickford and tells him that if he looks at her every night, eventually he will be able to be normal.

As the second act of the play winds down, there is a hilarious mix-up, as all of the “ladies” are getting ready to go on stage.

The characters are running rampant, confused between their actual personalities and the characters that they have taken on.

Any actor or actress can certainly relate to this feeling of taking on the persona of the one you play.
As “Act a Lady” takes the metaphor to an extreme, the audience comes to see that there is a woman inside every man just waiting to burst out.

When I went to see the production, I had a permanent stitch in my side.

There were other moments that my eyes were wide in awe as the actors so aptly depicted the stereotypes and unfair societal standards that are placed on women.

There is a moment where the wife of Miles is speaking of art and says “It was art because I went somewhere and I’m not totally sure I came back.”

All I can say after seeing the production is that, I went to Memorial Auditorium and I am still not sure I came back. The show was truly a masterpiece.

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