Ah, urination. A basic human need. Imagine living in a place where one must pay to do this. Well, folks, that place is Urinetown. This April 24-26, Johnson State College will experience it under the direction Assistant Professor of Performing Arts F. Reed Brown.

The play is a musical satire, Brown said. The premise is that all of the world’s water has dried up, and life as it was goes down the toilet, so to speak. Urine must be recycled to hydrate the world, and people are taxed to relieve themselves.
Set in Amenity #9, “where people go to pee,” a revolution begins because the downtrodden members of society want to pee for free.

“Their big political uprising is over unfair taxing of people’s need to urinate,” Brown said.

Brown described the production as being “neo-Brechtian,” meaning that the play comments on itself. He said it is “very much a takeoff of protest musicals in the 1930s.” However, Urinetown is not supposed to be any existing city; it is just Urinetown.

The element of social satire is comparable to Saturday Night Live, according to Brown. As for the subject matter, he said it spoofs all musicals; nothing is sacred.

“It puts its tongue firmly in its cheek,” he said.

Referring to Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” Brown said, “One of the solutions to overpopulation in the world is let’s eat all the poor children.” He said this was the same idea as in “Urinetown”: what happens if the water does run out?

Brown did not name the cast or crew members, stating that there was a large cast and everyone had a fairly big part. “I don’t necessarily want to point anyone out,” he said, “because there’s just so many people that have major contributions.” He did say there is a cast of 25 people, and every character has a name, as opposed to plays where some are identified vaguely by a number.

The decision to bring Urinetown to Johnson was made by Brown and Professor of Performing Arts Dr. Lisa Jablow, musical director of the play. Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann penned the piece.

When people attend “Urinetown,” Brown said, “they should laugh a lot. It’s very funny.” He added that he had never heard of anyone who saw the play and did not find something funny.

“People like poking fun at social norms and politics of the day,” he said. “There’s a reason why Saturday Night Live has been around for 30 years.”

Before heading to the mountains, Brown ran a theater in Missouri for 14 years, was a dancer in New York City for nine years, and took part in several national tours. In addition, Brown received his MFA from Illinois State University in 2006. Brown is currently in his second full year of a two-year visiting assistant professorship at Johnson State.

“Urinetown” is free for the JSC community with a $5 general admission.

 

(Photos: Left - Visiting Assistant Professor of Performing Arts F. Reed Brown; photo courtesy of F. Reed Brown. Right - On the scene of “Urinetown.” From left to right: Brittany Rhoads, Jess Silva, Kate Severence, Colleen Twoomey, Mallery Hazen, AJ Gagliardi, Rhianna Fleckenstein; photo courtesy of F. Reed Brown)