While preparing for their premiere of Measure for Measure, a classic from William Shakespeare, MCLA’s theater students found the medieval context of the play shifting into something much more relatable to today’s political world.
Measure for Measure is a dark comedy that revolves around sexual, emotional, and overall abuse of power.
Co-designed by FPA faculty member Jeremy Winchester, and senior theatre major Aedan Maginnis, the theater went through a lavish alteration, including rich velvet curtains and audience seats now facing one another on either side of the stage. As Rachel Lamarre, a 2025 graduate and a lead actress in the play explains it, “The audience surrounded two sides of the stage and were purposefully facing each other so that they could reflect on what was happening during the show, and to showcase how even they were complicit to what was going on.”
The play begins with each actor and actress on the stage, in sleek black attire and emotionless faces. The choice of simplistic costume allows for the viewers to not be distracted by what the actors are wearing so they can be more focused upon the conversation happening at hand.
While they stand motionless, various reports of the news are played, creating an overwhelming and chaotic feel to the moment; a notable tribute to how politics are discussed today.
Within the plot, there is a continuous uncomfortable advancement from Angelo, an officer, to a young nun Isabella. Using the arrest of Isabella’s brother to Angelo’s advantage, Isabella is forced to contemplate the idea of her brother dying or giving away her innocence to spare him.
The struggle for Isabella against power dynamics and exploitation is not new to women within our country, along with the idea of silencing their voices, as Isabella continuously experiences throughout the play. One audience member, Nichole Melo,’25, shares, “While watching this play, I cried, laughed, and really contemplated our current situation as women within America.”
These talented actors and actresses address such heavy topics flawlessly, each one taking on two, if not three, different characters to play, in a mix of Shakespearean and modern English. Lamarre comments, “Everyone provided such a safe space to test the bounds of our creativity and figure out how to piece together such a crazy show with a limited number of people.”
Within this play, the actors and actresses walk the fine line between drama and comedy, being able to switch the emotions within the room consistently, an achievement that was done by both them and also the audio and light conductors. The deep tones of red lighting combined with stark white spotlights heightened the messages they were trying to make on stage.
Just when the audience visibly relaxes as justice is being brought upon the antagonist, there is a sudden event that tips everything out of balance once again. With a cynical wink from the Duke, the show concludes, and we as the audience are left to decipher our emotions and thoughts.
Measure for Measure is more than a performance—it is a conversation starter that allows students and staff alike at MCLA to navigate the ideas revolving around corruption, power, and the actions needed to be taken against such oppression.
To learn more about MCLA’s theater program and when shows are, go to their Instagram at MCLAtheatre or visit MCLA’s event list at https://engage.mcla.edu/home_login
