Student production of “Murder Ballad” showcased diverse gender identities

By Madison Ridge The Penn State School of Theatre recently presented one of the first fully student-run projects in several years, “Murder Ballad,” with an all-queer cast directed by Ayana Francois, who also played the role of narrator. The play was an homage to the plight of modern relationships and the issue of jealousy, taking a deep dive into the minds of those who have been pushed too far. Francois’ dedication to the project, along with the outstanding commitment of her five-person cast and crew, made this play one for the books. The story was told entirely through a dark, contemporary soundtrack. “We started this play because of the unique position that the class of ‘22 was put in due to COVID-19—we missed out on a bunch of production opportunities,” Francois said. “And it just so happened that a lot of the actors left out were our queer students and students of color.” Rather than charge for tickets for the production, the students requested donations to the Black Trans Femme Artists Collective, hoping to inspire art in Black and transgender communities. “It was almost an accident that the show became an all-queer cast,” Francois said. “This show gave us the opportunity to showcase their talent, but also diverse gender identities in a way we don’t always get to see in the School of Theatre.” The play follows Sarah as she navigates the treacherous world of love in New York City. Typically played by a cisgender woman, the role was portrayed by non-binary actor Teddy Wilson. At the start of the story, Sarah is a young musician in love with a bartender named Tom, played by Jack Maloney, but it isn’t long before their relationship turns rocky, and Sarah finds herself in the market for new love. She soon meets Michael, played by Jimin Moon, an ever-romantic poet who teaches Sarah to be patient for love and all the “promises” that come with it. Sarah and Michael marry and have a baby, but her suburbanized lifestyle leaves the former musician craving the old days of whirlwind romances that swept her off her feet, so she goes back to Tom. Maloney’s performance as Tom was captivating, embodying the darkness of a man with nothing to lose and everything to gain. It seems that the universe aligned for these star-crossed lovers as they meet again and begin their secret affair—although it's not long until their passionate romance takes a dark turn as both Sarah and Tom’s partners find out about the indiscretion. Secrets are outed, people are hurt, and violence seems to be the only answer for all four of these heartbroken young lovers. The dark tones of this play take an enticing turn as the audience is left to uncover the murderer. Despite the obstacles put in place, the scarcity of opportunities, a lack of resources, and even the personal boundaries of working in an intimate setting in a pandemic, the actors in “Murder Ballad” pulled off a successful production. “Through guidance from the School of Theatre’s trained intimacy coach, we learned how to check our actors' boundaries, making sure that everyone felt respected and safe the entire time,” Francois said. “We wanted to be very intentional with our actions to make the story clear to the audience, but also to make our actors feel comfortable enough to do it.” According to Francois, the experience was rewarding for both the cast and the audience. “[It was rewarding] not just for me, but for the other students in the play as well, and for the students in the audience who saw what we did and came up to me after the show saying they want to direct something, too. I told them it can be done, so please, do it!”