On Nov. 13-15 and Nov. 20-22, Luther College’s Visual and Performing Arts Department produced a musical retelling of the life of the remarkable 20th century poet Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950). The show is titled Renascence, after one of the poet’s most influential poems of the same name, and is directed by Dr. Robert Vrtis. It features Olivia Colchin (‘29) as Edna St. Vincent Millay. Renascence is a story of the development of a young poet, of death and rebirth, deep pain and intense pleasure and the complicated life of a genius.
Set in three acts, the musical opens with fragments from the poem as the cast flit on and off the stage. Then, we are introduced to Vincent Millay’s humble home and family. Although she grows up in a small town without much exposure to the outside world, Vincent Millay has complete faith in her own genius. Her strong willed mother, portrayed by Eva Kraske (‘26), and two sisters, portrayed by Luke Smith (‘27) and Evie Kunz (‘28) all dote on her, encouraging her to enter a poetry competition. This leads to the genesis of Renascence.
Much to Vincent Millay’s surprise and dismay, Renascence does not win any prize. But it catches the attention of the public, and Vincent Millay is whisked away by a wealthy patron, portrayed by Elizabeth Guy (‘27), who funds her education at Vassar College.
The show had a very positive portrayal of Vincent Millay’s romantic relationships with people across different genders, highlighting the free spiritedness of Vincent Millay, a woman in the 1930s. For example, Vincent Millay has her first serious romantic relationship with Elaine Ralli, portrayed by Naomi Kravitz (‘26), at Vassar College. Ralli is a brawny hockey player who professes to love Vincent Millay the person, not the poet. While this proves irresistible to the young poet, the ecstasy of finding love is pitted against her growing responsibility to the world as a leading voice of her age.
Set to music by Carmel Dean, Vincent Millay’s poetry is used to full effect in the musical numbers, adding color and depth to the characters. With minimal props used on set, words take on a much more vital role in telling the story. Dick Scanlan’s script allows early twentieth century language to casually interact with modern humor. While this reveals what Vincent’s world would have looked like to her, it also allows current day audiences to connect to her.
However, it is unsurprising that Millay’s metaphysical style takes some getting used to.
“This show is weird, since the lyrics are written beforehand, but it grows on me every night,” said Brennan Stefan (‘27), a keyboardist in the pit orchestra.
Vincent Millay’s character is multifaceted and unpredictable. Perhaps unsurprising in a financially insecure artist, a fierce independence coexists with a tendency to please people for favors, especially with wealthy patrons and editors. She also struggles with the overwhelming pressure to deliver to the public, since she has a reputation to live up to, leading her to become somewhat cynical about her art in her later years.
Colchin reflected on Millay’s relevance to modern audiences, and the similarities and differences between herself and the poet.
“I think there are a lot of very relatable aspects of Millay’s youth, especially for college students,” said Colchin. “Playing a character who was also facing some of the most pivotal moments of her adolescence throughout the show was really interesting to convey, especially as a first year college student! As she grappled with her identity and her passions, I was facing the same thing. I think this gave me a deeper connection with the character during the rehearsal process. When I would doubt myself and whether or not I was good enough to be in the position I was, I would cling to the character.
“Millay’s struggle with the way her art was perceived was almost comforting to perform for that reason,” Colchin continues, “because I knew that she was successful despite these struggles. Even though we are different kinds of artists, I tried to use my passion for my art form (performing!) to fuel Vincent’s passion for her art form. I think that connected us as well! The motivation she had for her art was something that I found easier to convey, as I could tie it directly to the joy I had to be on stage.”
The final act is a dramatic sung recitation of Renascence in its entirety, with all the members of the cast on stage, including a significant number of the audience. For many, this seems to have been the most emotional part of the performance, even if it is not directly related to the story.
“It took me a while to get into [Renascence]. I’ve never been in a production that had me come on stage before. It was very moving, and I felt like crying, even though I didn’t completely know what was going on,” said audience member Julia Severtson (‘28).
Vincent Millay is the centerpiece, clad in a virginal white dress that leaves her exposed and vulnerable. The lighting shifts in response to the emotions of the text, creating a surreal atmosphere that lifts the viewer into a metaphysical space. Colchin talks about the significance of the poem to the story, exploring the personal connection she feels to the text.
“Right after reading the script, I was left feeling mildly confused about the way the show seemed to end without resolution,” says Colchin. “Act II ends, and then we launch into a twenty minute recitation of the poem from earlier in the show. It didn’t seem like there was a solid ending. I attempted to analyze the poem as a continuation of the story, as opposed to a random item to throw in at the last minute. I started to interpret the poem, which focuses on death and rebirth, as Millay’s end of life reflection.”
Renascence, written when Vincent Millay was only 20, features highly metaphysical language with striking imagery that evokes images of nature and plumbs the depths of human emotion.
“As [Millay] reaches up to “touch the sky” in the beginning of the poem, she faces obstacles that ultimately lead to her death,” Colchin said. “I saw her reaching to the sky as a representation of her career and the idea that throughout her life she continuously aimed higher, to be richer, for more fame. In the poem, she responds to her death in relief. However, after she realizes the world that she’s missing outside of her grave, she begs to be reborn […] so she could have the opportunity to undo the mistakes that she made.”
Like any human being, Vincent Millay was not straightforward or perfect. Assurance of her own genius made her a somewhat ruthlessly self-centered character, straining her relationship with her patron and her sisters. Perhaps in a reflection of her driven personality, only Vincent Millay’s costumes show any evolution throughout the show, reflecting her constant striving for change from her own expectations and those of the often disapproving society around her.
“In the last section of the poem, Vincent Millay is reborn, and I interpreted this as the fact that in a way, she is reborn after her death. Her poems and her words have lived on beyond her,” Colchin said. “Not only have they made her immortal, but people remember her for the beauty of her poetry and not for her mistakes. She is reborn as a better person because her words are her legacy, not her actions. At the end of the show, I like to make eye contact with every person in the audience. I do this not as Vincent, but as Olivia. I am telling her story and allowing her to live again, and the audience will carry the idea of Millay with them as this interpretation. I pass on her rebirth to the audience.”
