From Dec. 5-8, the Rowan University Theatre and Dance Department presented Come Together, an original dance cabaret. This show was directed by Dr. Leslie Elkins, Dr. Christopher M. Roche, and Jessica Arnold and was performed by Rowan students.

Come Together was a dance cabaret featuring an hour of dance and musical scenes themed around the late 60s and early 70s, Beatlemania, and psychedelic craze. It loosely followed three historical characters, Timothy Leary, played by Tyler Benson, John Lennon, played by Alec Salameda, and Yoko Ono, played by Natalie Petro.

The show opened with a thunderstorm and Timothy Leary delivered a monologue about the enlightenment provided by psychedelics. It continues with a semi-fictional narrative of his cult-of-personality, a run for governor of California, and his friendship with Yoko Ono and John Lennon. The end of the show featured a vaudevillian number about gendered expectations sung by Yoko Ono, and a group number where the ensemble sang Come Together by the Beatles.

“Our show is informed by the historical events of 1969, however, we’re not attempting to create a historically accurate […] production[…] Fact and Fiction are interspersed in our devised production,” said Dr. Elkins in the program’s director’s notes.

This show employed a blend of fact and fiction in order to explore questions of the time period and of the people, such as if there was a romantic relationship between Timothy Leary and John Lennon. The two even sang a duet original to the show detailing feelings of heartbreak and betrayal.

“When Timothy Leary found out that John Lennon and the Beatles had recorded the song [Come Together] he felt betrayed by John Lennon… allegedly,” said Dr. Roche in the program notes. “Fact and fiction are interspersed in our devised production of Come Together. We have used speeches and transcripts [but] also fabricated parts of the script to tell a different story.” 

This show also included a unique blend of genre and style, with some numbers being avant-garde, some hip-hop, a few on the theatrical side, and even some lyrical and contemporary choreography. 

Come Together featured many songs of the period. The ensemble sang many of these today in a musical theatre style, including Bad Moon by John Fogerty, Peace Train by Cat Stevens, and of course, Come Together by the Beatles.

“There was nothing quite like this. I’ve not been to many cabarets, I would definitely say this is probably one of the more interesting shows I’ve seen,” said Eric Salameda, an audience member.

“I enjoyed seeing this kind of performance,” Salameda said. “It’s good to see a different type of show being put on.” 

Come Together was a very free-form show written and directed by faculty members, and as such, it’s unlikely that anyone will ever see the same show again. This fleeting uniqueness highlights the allure of devised theatre.

After a weekend run, Come Together has closed, and finishes out a fall semester of Mainstage productions. In the spring, RUTD will present Almost, Maine, and The Music Man. 

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