Modern Twists on Classic Tales

"Wuthering Heights" reinvented at Interlochen

Oct. 5, 2014

"Wuthering Heights" reinvented at Interlochen

Desiree Sanchez loves a good story, even one that doesn’t have a happy ending, which is why she’s so drawn to Emily Bronte’s "Wuthering Heights."

"I’m amazed by the brutality and darkness," says Sanchez, artistic director of New York’s Aquila Theatre.

The company will present the mysterious and volatile "Wuthering Heights" at Interlochen on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

PRODUCT OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT

Set on the English moors, this bleak landscape is the perfect backdrop for the epic tale of Catherine and Heathcliff, one where injustice, unrequited love and revenge lead to unhappiness for virtually all concerned.

"I’m a believer in people being affected by the environment and climate," says Sanchez. "It [the story] is definitely very reflective of the moors. They’re beautiful, changeable and dangerous. That atmosphere created the story."

Sanchez uses movement to help breathe new life into the plays she directs. Her past career as a dancer (20 years at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet) influences her direction, though she doesn’t make this artistic choice simply to be different.

"I don’t use it to be gratuitous. I believe we have come upon something in the way we do our storytelling that is unique," she says. "It’s very raw and emotional."

Those words perfectly describe not only the story of "Wuthering Heights," but also the life of the Bronte family. In addition to Emily, her sisters Charlotte ("Jane Eyre") and Anne ("Agnes Grey," "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall") were also writers.

Sanchez believes Bronte’s personal environment was a key factor in the creation of "Wuthering Heights."

"There was a lot of sickness in the Bronte family," she says.

Emily’s mother died when she was three years old and two older sisters died in childhood. Her siblings all died in their early 30s or before. "Living in a family with sickness colored it," says Sanchez.

Emily herself died at the age of 30, a year after the publication of "Wuthering Heights," well before the book achieved acclaim. It was her only novel.

THE OLD IS NEW AGAIN

Aquila Theatre was founded in London in 1991 with the goal of creating bold reinterpretations of classical plays for contemporary audiences. It has been based in New York City since 1999.

Past presentations have included numerous works by Shakespeare, ancient Greek playwrights and American classics. Titles include "Othello," "The Importance of Being Earnest," "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Fahrenheit 451."

Sanchez says the actors are excited to be part of a company that strikes a chord between new and old. "They express themselves more fully than they were thinking they could. They come to rehearsal knowing they’ll be pushed. We as a group push ourselves. It’s fun and painful. It’s painful to be beautiful," she says with a laugh.

Not only is Aquila Theatre a performing company, but is also dedicated to education. It is the company-in-residence at the Center for Ancient Studies at New York University and is a New York City Board of Education vendor for Arts Education Services. While touring, Aquila presents special school performances, master classes, workshops and on-site school visits, reaching 15,000–20,000 middle and high school students annually.

Sanchez says she and the actors are committed to finding new ways to present material with which the audience may already be familiar and to bring out things that aren’t always apparent at first blush. "We want to bring out beauty, rawness and truth," she says.

The company’s goal is to reignite the spirit of the original works and, recreate the excitement of the original performances that made them classics in the first place. Aquila hopes to make theater part of the fabric of American cultural life.

Sanchez believes the status of "Wuthering Heights" as a classic novel is well deserved. "There are moments when you get really pulled in," she says. "I’m strongly compelled by it." She trusts the audience will be, as well. "You’ll be on an emotional roller coaster," says Sanchez. "Every person will get something different out of it. It’s a very subjective experience."

Curtain for the Oct. 14 performance at Interlochen’s Corson Auditorium is 7:30pm. For tickets and additional information, visit: www. Interlochen.org.