Interview: Alexa Adcock - "Peas, Patelin, and Purgation"

Alexa Adcock is a third-year Theatre major from Jackson, GA. She is currently portraying Colinet, Thbault, and Jacquinot in Peas, Patelin, and Purgation.

Have you done devised theatre before?
Yes! I played a character in Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. but that was my first experience.

What is it like to work in a show with this kind of process?
For me, it’s stressful! It’s a challenge with not having everything laid out in front of me. I don’t know exactly what the end goal is so I have to keep reminding myself just to continue playing and exploring the piece.

What farces are you in?  Who do you play in each farce?
I’m in all three farces! In the Peas, I play Colinet. He’s a sweet, sweet, stupid boy. In Pathelin, I play Thilbault Aignelet. Thibault is a shepherd - guilty or not, he’s misunderstood! In the last farce, The Washtub, I play Jaquinot. He always gets the rotten end of the stick! He’s bitter and broken.

Are there any challenges to creating a character and acting in this type of show?
YES! You just have to keep working and playing and trying things. You can’t be TOO big, but you also can’t be naturalistic. You don’t want to get caught in one cookie cutter caricature, but you also need to keep what makes the audience laugh. There’s a lot of trial and error, and you have to force yourself not to get knocked down.

If you could describe this show in a few words, then what would you say?
The show is stupid, blasphemous, ridiculous, and amazingly fun!

These pieces were written centuries before our time, and one has not been performed in a few hundred years!  Why do you think this play is important to today? What makes it relevant?
I think it’s a breath of fresh air! It helps us consider history when I think about why it was written. And it’s just fun!