arts // no. §

Drama at Douglas

» Hal Coase’s ‘Jekyll’ speaks to the
anxieties of the internet age

 

 

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My mind belongs to me.

 

MARCH 133 - 20, 2020
Douglas College Studio Theatre

Direction Madelyn Osborne

Set Heather Kent Costumes Ines Ortner

Lighting Darryl Strohan Projection Craig Alfredson

DOUGLASCOLLEGE
Theatre
Stagecraft & Event Technology

Adam Tatelman
Contributor

 

Anus comic book villain once
aid that a story everybody already
knows the ending to is a worthless one. If
that’s true, then what of the timeless tale
of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—a story that’s
endured for over a century on the page,
stage, and screen? How to turn the old
into something new without losing the
meaning of the piece? There has already
been a musical version—where do you

go from there? There’s any number of
answers to these questions. Douglas alum
Madelyn Osborne’s answer is to stage Hal
Coase’s Jekyll.

Madelyn has, by her own admission,
been obsessed with Jekyll since she first
saw it performed at the Edinburgh Fringe
Festival in 2015. Since then, she’s been
striving to get it produced in Canada.
Five years later, Jekyll premieres here at
Douglas College—and she is the director.
Who says dreams don’t come true?Jekyll
is not Robert Louis Stevenson’s story,
nor does Richard Mansfield feature as
a grotesque figure of terror. Instead, a
beautiful and revered Hyde wins the
hearts and minds of millions. Where
villainy once was confined to the misty
backstreets of London, it now has a
digital platform and a public face. It is not
shunned, but beloved. This inversion is
part of what drew Madelyn to the script so
strongly: “even though they’ve never met,”
she said, “or had any communication,
these characters still believe that Hyde is
this huge part of their lives—to a point
that it’s personal. That’s the power that
Hyde has over people.”

Madelyn believes, perhaps rightly,
that Hal Coase’s vision of Hyde as an
influential media maven speaks more to

Tickat= jokyll.bpt.mo
Info douglascalloge.ca/ansevents

Official poster

the anxieties of the internet age than the
image of a hedonistic Quasimodo. “That’s
the modern version of it,” she said. “The
duality of the vulnerable, true side of a
person’s life, and the way that we curate
our lives on social media. We're used to
looking at a picture and saying that’s what
I’m supposed to be rather than figuring it
out for ourselves.”

Today, everyone creates their own
Hyde. They are a legion of perfect
pixelized faces, adrift in the digital
sea. Immaculately cultivated slices of
ourselves—snapshots of success without
all that pesky real life to complicate
getting there. Hyde knows our tastes
and proclivities, keystrokes, and search
terms. Hyde offers opinions, advice,
recommended content, and targeted
advertisements. Clicks are currency.
Exposure is the product. Your mind is the
market. Like, share, and subscribe.

How can we live truthfully in an age
where lies of omission are the norm? How
can we know what we need when the
world’s most massive corporate entities
make it their business to tell every single
one of us what we should want? How
can the human spirit survive in this
synthetic half-light, slowly drowning
itself in dopamine as it instantly gratifies
each impulse with a mere flick of the
trackpad? There are many answers to
these questions. Madelyn’s is to stage Hal
Coase’s Jekyll.

Date: March 13 to 20

Location: Studio Theatre at New West
Campus

Time: Varies depending on date, range
from 12 to 7:30 pm

Price: $20 general admission, $10 for
students

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¢ Local Lemonade Gluten Free Bakery
review

¢ Petitioning at its finest
¢ Tips for beginners to mysticality
..and more

Student Profile: Ruth Desterke

» Douglas local talks about the college’s nursing program

Craig Allan
Staff Writer

 

f the many programs offered at
Douglas College, one of the biggest is
the nursing program. It is a robust field of
study that Douglas has to offer—so what
is it like to attend the program? What is
the day-to-day life of a nurse in training?
To answer these questions and more is
Douglas College student, Ruth Desterke.
Desterke has been going to Douglas
for three years and is currently about
to finish her second year of schooling
(counting the elective year). Her goal is
to get a Bachelor of Science Degree and
enter the Psychiatric Nursing Field. In this
interview, she answers why she decided
to enter the nursing program and other
interesting questions.

Other Press: Why did you choose to go
into the nursing program?

Ruth Desterke: “I chose to go into the
Psychiatric Nursing Program at Douglas
College for several reasons. Firstly,
psychology has always fascinated me. The
human mind is so intricate and no “cookie-
cutter” solution will work for every person.
No day or client will ever be the same. As
such it requires the nurse to be mindful

of each client, draw out their strengths
and help them to succeed in the best way
possible for them.

Secondly, mental health is something
that affects all of us to some degree. I am
blessed to have an opportunity to be a
part of someone’s journey. I aim to leave
a positive and supportive impact on their
lives. Lastly, I genuinely just want to help
people. This future career will allow me
to work closely with other health care
treatment teams to develop individualized
treatment plans to help clients understand
their illness and to live productive and full
lives.”

OP: What has been the most
challenging part of your program?

RD: “Learning a work and life balance.

My own mental health and self-care have
become a priority in this program. Without
being balanced inside I would not be able
to handle the heavy course load and all that
is going on in life as well.”

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OP: With this degree/certification,
where do you hope your career in
nursing takes you?

RD: “As I am still in the middle of the
program, I haven't thoroughly thought
about this option. In our program, we

have our clinical experiences that will give
me a good idea as to what working as a
psychiatric nurse looks like in a variety of
ways. There is hospital work, forensic work,
community work, Car 87, and so many
more opportunities upon completion of
this degree. My current short-term life goal
is to graduate alive.”

OP: What has been the most rewarding
part of going after a nursing degree?

RD: “What I have enjoyed the most

during this program has been the clinical
placements. Here we can learn to put our
knowledge into action, learning to grow
and develop into our own practice. I have
loved making connections with clients. It is
so rewarding to see smiles on their faces, to
be able to listen and help where I can.”

OP: How have you balanced schoolwork
and social life? What do you do for fun
to get away from work and recharge?

RD: “Tt was very hard in the first semester
with seven courses. Learning how to work
on assignments based on priority was so
important. Also taking time for social
life and my own health and wellness was
much needed.

Depending on the day and my energy,
my recharge can look like a face mask
at home with ice cream and Netflix, or
heading to a class at the gym. I love hiking
and being in nature, so this is my first go
to, even if it is just a walk outside to get the
blood flowing. Rain or shine, I will likely be
outside for some part of my day!”

OP: Would you recommend the
Douglas College nursing program to
prospective students?

RD: “Yes, absolutely. The amount of
personal growth that I have experienced in
just the first year is incredible. The program
really teaches you a lot about yourself and I
have found it changes the way that I think
about situations and others as well. I am
learning how to be a psychiatric nurse and
Iam also experiencing a lot of self-growth
during this program.”

My current short-term life
goal is to graduate alive.”

 

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life & style // no. 9

Illustration by Janis McMath