When this life is over and the transition to the next world begins, what will we be able to take with us? The answer to this question is at the heart of "Everyman," the Marquette Department of Performing Arts' first play of the season.

The play begins with the title character encountering Death, who forewarns Everyman of his impending demise. Faced with this knowledge, Everyman must decide what to take with him to the next life.

He tries to persuade his Strength, Beauty, Intelligence and Knowledge — all depicted as characters in the play — to follow him, but the only one that can come along for his journey to heaven is Good Deeds.

The point of the play is clear: only the good acts each person has done in their current life can be taken along when it is time to leave this world.

"It is an exploration of morality," said Stephen Hudson-Mairet, director of scenic design for the play. "This is a medieval play, very old, but it is still meaningful today."

According to those involved, bringing "Everyman" to the stage has been an exciting project.

"It has been an interesting and fun experience," said Sarah Winiarski, who is playing the role of Death. She said it had been a challenge trying to figure out how to bring an allegorical figure to life.

"I'm trying to make the character not cliché and I want to give it a human side so that people can relate," Winiarski said.

Hudson-Mairet said preparation for the play began in spring 2005.

"All of the design work evolved out of a class I taught last semester," he said.

Nine of his students were given a midterm assignment to design scenery for a play using computer applications. Hudson-Mairet said computer modeling, animations and projections are used to visually bring the journey of Everyman to life.

"('Everyman' is part of) medieval theatre, which is just fantastic," said Mary Beth Tallon, who teaches drama literature at Marquette.

After plays were kicked out of the church, everyone in the medieval town would get involved in the production of the plays, she said. She said she plans on taking her class to see "Everyman" because "it is meant to be seen, not just read."

"Everyman" has been adapted many times, with one important translation having Marquette roots.

William R. Duffey was the first director of the former School of Speech at Marquette and the founder of the Marquette theatre program. According to the "Everyman" program, Duffey's 1924 production of "Everyman" was one of the first in the United States.

Prior to Duffey's version, the play had long been considered too difficult to perform due to the lack of stage directions and the use of archaic words. His version has been used by schools and theatres across the country.

John Schneider, director of this year's "Everyman," said in the program that Duffey's work guided his own adaptation. The goal of this year's adaptation was to make this play "fully accessible to the actors and audiences of 2005," he said.

"Everyman" kicks off the theatre department's season, themed "Theatre with a Difference." Marquette has joined with Alverno Presents and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts to offer performances dealing with the themes of art, faith and social justice as a year-long citywide arts festival, according to a brochure released by the Peck School of the Arts.

Everyman performances begin on Thursday, October 6, and run through Sunday, October 16.

This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on October 6, 2005.