Just in time for Homecoming, Millikin’s Theatre Department will present Rough Magic on Wednesday, September 30th at 7:30 PM. There will be five performances, including a matinee at 2 PM on Sunday, October 4th. Tom Robson will direct the show.

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, a former Marvel comic writer, is the writer of Rough Magic. It is inspired by The Tempest and even uses characters from the classic play. The show takes place in present day New York City and is what is often described as a cross between X-Men and Harry Potter. Melanie Porter, the main character of our story, is gifted with the power to bring characters from plays into the real world. She works as a coach for actors and directors, helping them draw out the essence of the play. However, when Caliban, the son of villain Prospero, escapes their home island with his father’s Book of Magic, Melanie’s life is sent into a spiral of action and adventure.

The play includes a wide variety of characters, including a fury from Ancient Greece come to life as a Drag Queen named Tisiphone. Sophomore Theatre major, Kevin Harris, brings this lively and spunky character to life. “My experience has been very eye-opening, regarding people and how they respond when you bring your all and show your inner woman.” As one might imagine, playing a Drag Queen definitely has its empowerments and glory. Still, hidden behind the corset and makeup is a whole new level of difficulty. Harris stated, “I would say the most challenging part is being fearless. Physically it can be taxing, but the hardest part is being fearless and not being afraid of going there – which I can say I’m reaching the point where I’m not afraid of going there.”

Stepping into the high-heeled shoes of a Drag Queen can be challenging, but Millikin’s Theatre Department has made sure to ease that stress, giving the student performers a chance to actually work with some professional female impersonators. Some of the cast and theatre students were even able to go see a drag show. “After working with them and seeing their performance, I can honestly say that I walked away, for one, feeling happy and feeling really content and free,” Harris stated. “So I’m going to try to bring that to the show. I want people to leave happy and feeling some type of freedom. Because drag is about freedom.”

While the set will be shown through panels at times to bring the audience a feeling of actually being in a comic book, Shakespeare’s influence will come through as well. Not to worry though, you won’t have to be a literature buff to keep up. “For anyone that’s interested in coming to the show, you don’t have to necessarily know about Shakespeare to enjoy it. You can come in with no knowledge of his work and still laugh and have fun,” Harris says. As far as the shows meaning, it seems to give a very important lesson on fear. “The main thing I have gotten out of this show is that fear is one of the greatest villains that we face, in life in general. But this show has taught me that […] no matter who you are, you have the potential to be a hero.”

With a lineup of action, comedy, and heroics, Rough Magic is not a show to miss. Make sure to come support your fellow students and a great performance.