Klaus Solko, staff writer

What an amazing interactive live theater performance! “Enemy of the People” had it all: games, movement, some audience participation and above all an extraordinary theater department behind it. I went on opening night and the production has stuck with me. The opening games and character interactions in the atrium before the show really set a tone and got everyone excited. I think that Billings, played by Alex Mostek, did a great job with the pre-show interviews, and Edgar Noff, played by Andres Johnson, filled the space with his fiddle and really transported people to their time period!

It is amazing how the people in this play made it connect to the audience when the source material was from the 1800s. While the main topic in the show is clean water, it is also about propaganda and how politics affect everyone. Nox Gebbengreen’s portrayal of the Mayor reminded me of how many modern politicians act and I thought the time that Augsburg chose to put on this play really reflected the real world message in it. Noemi Richardson, who played Ms. Aslaksen, elevated this point with her role and was truly outstanding.

The relationship between Billings and Petra, played by Skye Seiler, was my personal favorite. The way that both those actors played off of each other was so compelling and made me care about them both much more. I found it fun the way their dynamic started feeling very one sided. Then at the end when Petra really needed someone and Billings turned his back I was shocked!

While talking about this production with my theater class there were many people who appreciated it when the actors sat with the audience. It added to the feeling of being a part of the show and acted as a build up to the audience voting. The way that the voting was done at the end of the show was also so different than anything I have ever seen! Audience members got to impact the story’s ending by putting different colored paper slips into a basket, really tying together the notion that the audience was part of the story.

Another interesting aspect for me was having the actors play instruments in the show. I know that this aspect was enjoyed not just by the audience, but the actors seemed to have had a fun time with it too. In an interview with the Echo, Sydney Elliott who played Margo Stockman, said “I have always been on the stage as an actor so getting to play my instrument in a show was a cool new experience.”

Elliott went on to say, “I also enjoyed getting to find a family and home away from home with the cast, crew, directors and theater department as a whole.” This sentiment was shared by Andres Johnson who stated in an interview with the Echo, “This was my first theater experience and it was a blast! I loved becoming friends with the cast members!” The experience that the Augsburg Theater department gives people is amazing and is so welcoming to new people.

Overall, this show was a smashing success and a great experience. I loved every part of it and can’t wait to see what the department does next with their upcoming student-directed production of “Tian.”