An Evening of Kafka and Stevenson

Isaac Rowlingson, staff writer

On Nov. 17 through 19, Albemarle High School Drama presented An Evening of Kafka and Stevenson. Each performance consisted of two one-act plays. Before the show, the director mentioned they will also be performing a musical in the coming spring.

The first play was based on the book The Castle, by Franz Kafka. Set in a rural German village, the main character is simply named K and struggles to find his place in a village full of confusing people. The Castle was a thought provoking and mysterious sequence of events. Although it is surrealistic throughout, The Castle had a dark ending which confirmed the reality of the seemingly absurd scenarios K had endured.

The second play was based on the book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, and was accordingly set in London. Dr. Jekyll develops Mr. Hyde, his second personality, as a result of his own medical experiments.

Despite their ages, the students did a great job bringing these mature stories to life. The  consistent pace of a one-act play worked well for these two stories which combined for a two and a half hour show. During the 15 minute intermission, the audience was given a chance ponder the first play before seeing the second.

The set design, lighting, sound, and acting were all impressive and well worth the $10 ticket cost.

Towards the end of her director’s note, Fay E. Cunningham wrote, “There is no escape for Jekyll or K. Both end up living a solitary life, detached from others. Interesting enough, both Stevenson and Kafka endured sickly lives; neither one of them had the fortune of good health; both died in their early 40’s; however, both of these authors left a wealth of literature to mystify and entertain us.”