Theatre Arts productions are a pride for Catawba’s campus. Our thriving theatre program creates great shows that are unique, entertaining, and thought-provoking. The presentation of talent this past week proved no differently. Catawba’s production of Woyzeck (pronounced “voyt-zeck”) was another hit. The performance in Florence-Busby utilized the stage’s surrounding seating to create a dynamic and evolving production.

After warnings of blood, violence, adult language, and a “splash zone,” the audience was enraptured by the engrossing story and the interesting characters as they witnessed the play’s progression. The main character, Franz Woyzeck, combats his poverty by performing small jobs for the local Captain and Doctor in order to give money to his child and its mother. Woyzeck partakes in experiments for the Doctor, one of which demands that he eat nothing but peas. The audience watched the man’s mental health deteriorate into apocalyptic visions and spots of jittery, jealous raging. Outstanding performers for this production include the two leads, Zach Dietz (Junior, Franz Woyzeck),  Victoria Whetzel (Junior, Marie), and Anna Kate Hall, who portrayed both the Captain and the Doctor, and enthralled the audience in a dramatic scene where both of her characters starred. Every member of the outstanding Woyzeck crew should be proud of the impressive final product.

Woyzeck was a shining example of how intrigue, mystery, and a foreshadowed downfall can keep an audience engrossed at the very start and leave a lasting impression when the final bows are done. Catawba’s theatre productions are the leading presentations of evidence that we have real talent on this campus. Be sure to catch the next campus show!