Wiley and the Hairy Man

     Recently, I went to see the play Wiley and the Hairy Man at Saginaw Valley State University. I thought the play was well done and enjoyed the points of verbal and physical humor that seemed to occur numerous times during each scene. The main characters of the play did an excellent job, however, a large part of the play also consisted of the chorus members. These cast members not only took on the roles of scenery, props, background noise and song, but grabbed the audiences attention with each movement and sound.

     The chorus' costumes were one part of the play that took on numerous roles. For example, there is a scene in which the Hairy Man is trying to come after Wiley, but Wiley reverses the Hairy Man's plans and causes the snakes to turn on him. At this point, the lights go off on stage and the chorus' costumes glow in the dark to reveal the outlines of snakes moving around the tree. There is also another scene in which the chorus' costumes create the body and tail of an alligator while the Hairy Man uses his hands to form the shape of its head. Another scene in which the chorus takes on the role of props is when Wiley is sitting with his mother. The chorus members transform into the table and chairs at which the mother and her son eat at during their breakfast.

     The members of the chorus not only act as objects and animals in the play, but also create all of the background noise. The chorus interact with the characters by singing and talking directly to them and also echoing what they say. The group also becomes the Tombigbee Swamp, acting as the sounds of the birds and sways of the trees. In these ways, the chorus not only became part of the set, but also played a leading role.