Upon entering the HopKins Black Box Theatre, a visitor might notice that one of the usually matte black walls of the experimental venue has been painted stark white.
The temporary change of color sets the scene for the theater’s current production, “Beyond the Utmost Bound,” a play about the history of Antarctic exploration.
Serving as both a classroom and a theater for University students, the Black Box is home to the performance studies area of the Department of Communication Studies.
Audiences come to the theater to see non-commercial work, said Patricia Suchy, associate communication studies professor and adapter and director of “Beyond the Utmost Bound.”
“One of the challenges has been figuring out how to get people from southern Louisiana to understand what 40 degrees below is,” Suchy said. “This play attempts to tell the story of Antarctic exploration. People could read about it, but the live theater is going to be entertaining.”
Suchy said she has been studying Antarctic exploration for about 10 years, and she’s not done yet. The process of adapting a generally academic topic into theater has been her experiment.
“The process is like a scientist in a lab,” she said. “I have an educated guess, but I don’t know what will happen, and I don’t know if it will succeed.”
The play is adapted mainly from the text “The Worst Journey in the World” and focuses on Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova expedition. Suchy said the play reflects her own reactions to the material she has read, and it references modern occurrences such as budget cuts and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
“In my field, the thing we study and the way we study is performance theatre,” Suchy said. “We’re changing the idea that you can only explain things with words. We’re dancing history.”
The main components of the set are small, white wood boxes, built from scratch and arranged to form different elements in each scene, Suchy said. The boxes make the ship, supply depot and anything else with which the characters need to interact. A hand-cranked machine, built by one of the cast members, produces the wind sounds to accompany the Arctic scenes.
Cast member and communication studies graduate student Benjamin Haas plays Dr. Edward Wilson, a scientist who goes to research penguins and other biological studies at the pole. Haas said he got into character by researching Wilson’s writings and watching a documentary about Antarctica.
“Patricia has given us key insights into what these explorer fellows were like,” Haas said. “She’s been pointing us in the right direction to really give this production multiple dimensions. And she really values the things we had to say about our characters and treats us as peers.”
Suchy had assistance from colleagues, including Vince LiCata, a biological science professor and playwright, who read drafts of her script and offered feedback.
“[Suchy] really likes to push the edges of theatre,” LiCata said. “You could walk out of this and know more about Antarctica exploration than anyone you’ve ever met. But at the same time it’s enjoyable and exciting.”
John LeBret, manager of the Black Box Theatre, plays a contemporary character whose role is to connect the Antarctic explorations with current events and to act as Suchy’s voice.
“There are some ingenious ways of storytelling,” LeBret said. “The play moves from real emotional scenes to funny scenes, and it’s unpredictable.”
“Beyond the Utmost Bound” premiered Wednesday and runs through Sunday.
“It’s entertaining, funny, and it’s got a really accessible storyline for anyone who’s been scared off by the Black Box for their stranger productions,” Haas said.
 
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Contact Morgan Searles at [email protected]