By Joe Crollard
Written in 1891 by Oscar Wilde, and in the French language as a failed attempt to avoid Victorian censorship, “Salome” tells a dark tale of Desire, Denial, Dance, and Death; a biblical story that’s loosely based and inspired by the passages of Mark 6:17-29 and Matthew 14:3-11 of the New Testament.
The story follows our main character Salome, portrayed by Anna Pederson, who to her stepfather’s dismay but delight of her mother Herodias, requests the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter as a reward for dancing the “Dance of the Seven Veils.”
“Salome,” known for its provocative subject matter, deals with many dark themes such as lust, jealousy, vengeance, and family dysfunction.
“When I first heard about the show I wasn’t too attracted to doing something so intense at this point in my life,” Anna Pederson said.
“But then I heard about the dance.”
Pederson, who describes herself as a dancer who fell into acting, considers her role as Salome to be her most challenging.
“In the end, she ends up losing her mind, and trying to build to that moment is really intense for me. I think I’ll still be figuring it all out as we open but I think that will make everything really organic and it won’t get stale for me.”
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this rendition of “Salome,” is the fact that John the Baptist is played by Anna Pederson’s husband, Jeremy Pederson.
“I met Jeremy just this January in ‘Return to the Forbidden Planet,’ PC’s winter show. So I always knew theater would be a big part of our relationship.”
Though she admits, playing such different, conflicting roles is a slight challenge.
“It is tough playing such opposing characters when we’re totally still in our honeymoon phase (we got married August 30th)! Jeremy goes from kissing me off stage to condemning me on stage. The biggest challenge is just staying in character and not think, ‘This is my husband.’ But after each rehearsal or show we get to go right back to us” Pederson said.
As for the story itself, despite it’s mature content, Pederson feels that almost everyone should get something out of it.
“I think most people would enjoy this show, you just need to be in the right frame of mind. This isn’t really a feel good story. This story will, hopefully, give you a new perspective on, not only a well known biblical event but on what happens when you use people to get what you want” she said.
“It’s kind of a, ‘Be careful what you wish for’ theme. In the end, each leading character gets what they want, but at a terrible cost of another person’s life.”
Directed by Richard Stephens and PC Drama Professor Lara Starcevich, and described by Stephens as a “rich treasure chest packed with gorgeous language and stuffed with lyrical images that tease and tantalize all the senses,” “Salome,” the one act play, will come to the Little Theater stage on Nov. 14, 15, 16, 21 and 22.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14, 15, 21 and 22.
On Nov. 16 there will be a 2:00 p.m. matinee, with a special “Talk Back” session with the actors and directors.
Due to the nature of the themes, the play is intended for mature audiences.
Ticket prices are $12 for the general public, $10 for seniors, and free to PC students. They can be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/906222 or at the door at the time of the performances.
