Students gathered last weekend for the opening of

Jade emperors, monkeys and characters of all types filled the stage as the Chinese folk tale was relayed through the eyes of the performers.

The play was well written and devised by the performers and the director, Jennifer Goodlander. They were careful with the words they chose, as the play is performed to many audiences; they will also be performing for elementary students.

The costume design was elaborate and the stage was set in a Chinese setting using bright colors and oriental patterns. This gave it a surreal look that the audience could really dive themselves into.

Another effective choice was the drum set in the back of the stage for live music. They used a gong for special effects and to make the music sound more of its time.

“The music added another dimension to the play,” Elizabeth O’Connell, a senior art history major, said.

Melissa Miller, a junior accounting major, attended the performance for the requirements of her theater class, but ended up thoroughly enjoying the performance.

“The costumes and the makeup were awesome,” Miller said. “The monkeys especially had a lot of makeup which made it more realistic to me.”

The lead performer, Ray “Magic” Adams, played the Monkey King in a way that made the audience believe that he truly was that character. He used magic tricks and humor to pull the audience into his world.

“All of the humor added made it fun to watch, not to mention the jade emperor,” Elizabeth Denniston, senior art education major, said.

The Jade Emperor really captured the audience’s attention. He garnished extremely long nails, long white beard, a hat, and a long robe; however, what really caught the attention of the audience was the voice the Jade Emperor used and the humor he mixed in.

“I knew I would love it as soon as the Jade Emperor came in,” said Alisa Johnson, a sophomore psychology major.

Overall, the audience was thoroughly pleased with the outcome of for opening weekend. The only mistake the audience picked up on was a couple of jumbled lines.

“They missed a few lines, but overall it was a well done performance,” said Miller.  “All they needed was to look over the script one more time to memorize it.”