Review by: Bre Northrup
This year’s 19th annual New York International Fringe Festival showcased a new musical written and performed by undergraduates at Yale University. Under: A New Musical written by rising Yale senior Monica Hannush, and directed by rising Yale junior Alex Cadena, follows the story of Serena (Michaela Murphy) through two related periods of her life enacted on opposing sides of the stage: one being Serena’s time in the Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital, and the other being the year prior to her admittance into the ward. Under sheds light on the pressure of the academically privileged to uphold the standard of perfection. In light of the recent Yale suicide in May of this year, Under begins to scratch the surface of the overwhelming strain put upon the students of Ivy League institutions.
The play began with a disclaimer from the house manager, which suggested that the play is semi-autobiographical. In an interview with Call Me Adam, Hannush offers advice to playwrights saying- “Don’t ever think that your story isn’t worth telling, or that your own experiences aren’t worth mining for inspiration.”
With this disclaimer aside, the play focussed on the singular narrative of the protagonist, and left the secondary characters underdeveloped.
It is imperative to also address the success of the music within the piece, which is composed by Yale student Julian Drucker, with lyrics written by Monica Hannush. Standout songs include power ballad “So Fucking Special” about the struggle to discover what makes one unique in a college setting, “So Easy to Lie” about Serena’s tendency to fabricate, and “That’s A Lot to Swallow,” which is a double entendre for the pill intake at the psychiatric facility, and the metaphor of Yale being a lot to handle.
Despite a few technical errors (projection screen fumbles), the cast and onstage band did not sweat. Special kudos must go to the band members who played the rock-musical-esque songs with ease.
Under: A New Musical was performed with the Fringe Festival at Theatre 80 at 80 St. Marks Place (between First and Second Ave) www.under-a-new-musical.com