Sophie Treadwell’s 1928 play Machinal grounds itself in the true-crime phenomenon of Ruth Snyder, sentenced to execution by electrocution for the murder of her husband in January of the same year. However, rather than seeking to document Snyder’s case, the play centres around the intentionally vague ‘Young Woman’ (Emma Dawes); it tells the story of “an ordinary young woman, any woman”. Treadwell’s expressionistic masterpiece is not asking her audience to consider whether the protagonist is wrong for committing murder, but to consider whether - in the claustrophobic wasteland of patriarchal society - she had any other choice.

“The sinisterly striking thing about Machinal is just how much has not changed”

Director Zach Lonberg and Assistant Director Margaux Emmanuel hold onto the urgency of this production, an urgency that has not simmered down in the 95 years since it was written. In fact, the sinisterly striking thing about Machinal is just how much has not changed. The Young Woman’s restless panic and yearning for something better in a world that favours inhumane systems does not feel far enough in the past. Society moves on mechanically, caring little for the individual. Yet, despite its undeniable relevance to a modern audience, Lonberg and Emmanuel consider it important to keep it in its original time period; rather than undermining its historical significance as a work of 20th century feminism by dragging it into the modern day, they allow the play to speak for itself.

“Impenetrable and nonsensical, endlessly spiralling dialogue and incessant noise make up the world around the Young Woman”

As the need for financial security in a loveless marriage and the suffocating restrictions of motherhood close in, the Young Woman is set aflame with the abandonment of her lover. Pushed to do the unthinkable, she resorts to desperate measures to control her own body and shape her own future. Treadwell’s borderline absurdist play gives directors much to work with; impenetrable and nonsensical, endlessly spiralling dialogue and incessant noise make up the world around the Young Woman. While this effectively enables the audience to see the world through the protagonist’s eyes, Lonberg and Emmanuel are keen not to sacrifice the play’s moral dilemma and humanness in the name of expressionism. Instead, they aim to maintain the audience’s sympathy with the character right to the end. We quickly start to see that - despite the supposedly ‘balanced’ justice system - the Young Woman has only one fate.

With twenty-eight listed characters across nine episodes, Machinal lends itself well to multi-rolling, and Lonberg and Emmanuel handle this impressively. As Treadwell walks the line between speech and sound, the dialogue can position supporting characters as merely accessories to their surroundings. Nevertheless, Lonberg and Emmanuel intend to individualise these ensemble characters, as well as recognising their role in a collective. Despite vague names (‘Young Man’, ‘Man’, ‘Another Man’), the creators intend not to let people get lost; they ensure such names don’t signal faceless representations, but allow the audience to see themselves as any of the characters. Combined with their subtle choice to assign specific roles to ensemble actors, so their characters’ attitudes towards the Young Woman remain consistent and unrelenting, this decision suggests a sophisticated handling of the ensemble which goes further than just serving to alienate the Young Woman.

Noting the struggles that college productions can face, Lonberg acknowledged that - as The Robinson Auditorium has a capacity larger than the ADC Theatre yet lacks its regimented production support - Machinal requires a more hands-on approach behind the scenes. This also provides Machinal the chance to prove that college productions deserve as much street-cred as the ADC shows. Set against a swirling, optical illusion-esque backdrop and shadowy lighting, this version of Machinal picks the most atmospheric elements of the original expressionistic theatre to disorientate the audience without detracting from the importance of Treadwell’s message. This is ultimately a play that focuses on cause, and ends up finding blame in every inch of society.

Machinal will run from Saturday 18th – Sunday 19th November 2023 at Robinson College Auditorium.