“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” is a complex, twisted tale of revenge and a loss of humanity. It follows Benjamin Barker, living under a new identity, as he seeks revenge on a corrupt judge who wrongfully accused him of a crime. It explores heavy themes such as cannibalism by turning humans into pies, the act of obsession through love and revenge and the loss of innocence through losing morality or humanity.
The musical has gone through a history of many changes and adaptations, with the character “Sweeney Todd” first appearing in November of 1856 in a penny dreadful titled “The Strings of Pearls: A Romance” by Thomas Peckett Prest and James Malcom Rymer. In 1936, George Dibdin-Pitt, Frederich Hayward and H.F. Maltby wrote a feature-length horror film titled “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” In 1979, Stephen Sondheim adapted C.G. Bond’s play into the famous musical of today. It is also known from Tim Burton’s film adaptation.
This year, the Theatre MSU contributed to its history.
From April 16 to April 19, Starkville residents had the opportunity to watch the Theatre MSU’s rendition of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” This was a major production, requiring countless hours of work and rehearsal to execute a polished production. The theatre collaborated with the musicians to bring Sondheim’s music to life.
Jacob King, a sophomore communications major with a concentration in theater, played the character “Sweeney Todd” in the musical. Reflecting on his time preparing for this production, he noted how important this role has been to him personally.
“It has been hard to play Sweeney but it has also been an honor to play,” King said. “This show means a lot to me because I am a recent transfer into theater and this feels like my jumping off point for my career.
King also commented on the enthusiasm he has noticed in the cast and crew while working on this production.
“State is not really thought of as a liberal arts school, so for us to do a show like this and to do it well, it shows that there is good theatre here,” King said. “With this entire production, you can feel the passion bursting at the seams. Every single person, no matter if they are ensemble or the director, you feel just how seriously they are taking this.”
King noted that his favorite part of the show was the chair contraption they made. A few of the scenes required a chair with a trap door leading to a chute that actors had to slide down after their character was killed in the show. This contributes to the mystery of how Todd kills his victims and disposes of their bodies.
Tonya Hays, an assistant professor of theatre performance in the department of communication, media & theatre, was the director for the musical. She discussed the challenge of directing this show, commenting on the ways they chose to involve the audience in the production.
“This was definitely one of the harder shows, if not the hardest, that I have directed,” Hays said. “We decided to add a bit of our own twist to the show. The first two solos that take place, happened in the audience. We wanted our audience to feel involved with the show.”
Although the ultimate goal of the play was to create an immersive and exciting experience for the audience members, the cast found themselves benefiting from the production in other ways. Between rehearsals, script-reading and practice, the group found themselves forming genuine friendships that transcended their work on the show.
Kate Jasper, a sophomore majoring in communications with a concentration in theatre, reflected on the community that was created amongst the cast throughout production.
“This cast means so much to me because we genuinely could not spend one day without each other,” Jasper said. “I also believe that it sparked a lot of people’s love for theater again. I think it is also amazing for us to know that we have an army of support from each other. It made everything go by so smoothly.”
The friendship found amongst the group was valued by each member. Jasper said that they found themselves enjoying each other’s presence even on their off days. Although they met through the production, the group formed genuine relationships amid the hours of hard work.
The care and community of this production were felt by all members of the crew, from new members gaining experience to long-time veterans who have participated for years. Kiki Efantis, a senior communications major with a concentration in theatre, commented on her experience as a veteran of Theatre MSU.
“I have been here for about four and a half, five years now and in these years, the theater department has grown a significant amount. It is my senior show, so I am feeling a bit romantic about it but I also love seeing the love that the show is getting,” Efantis said. “It was really cool to see all of those really talented people come together for this project and really care about this project to do good together and put it out there.”
As the show came to a close, Hays commented on how proud she was of the students who worked on this production.
“I am very proud that we were able to pull this off. I hope that if you have not seen a show at Theater MSU, that you will come in the future,” Hays said.
