The Mercyhurst Theater Department put on a rendition of Tennessee William’s “Clothes for a Summer Hotel” on Thursday, April 9, through Sunday, April 12, in the Taylor Little Theatre.

It told the story of F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda during their stay at Hyland Hospital. The only catch: they, as well as the rest of the hospital’s inhabitants, are dead, doomed in a type of purgatory for what seems all eternity.

The show also examines the Fitzgeralds’ volatile marriage, problems stemming from Scott’s workaholic nature and Zelda feeling like his trophy wife.

The show had a fantastic cast and well-written dialogue, some of which was quite hilarious in a darkly comedic way.

Zelda is a very interesting character and her dialogue is filled to the brim with double-entendres and witty comebacks to Fitzgerald.

I had never seen a Tennessee Williams play before, so I had no idea what to expect walking into the show.

Thankfully, the darkly comedic dialogue and likable characters immediately engaged me and never let my attention slip from the stage.

The use of sound effects was also very well-done. Blustering wind, sounds of the beach and even a lively party were utilized, engaging the viewer into the story.

The use of bright red lights to indicate a serious or intense moment was clever, immediately focusing the attention to the character onstage.

The red light usually happened when one character was about to make a monologue.

The costumes were also amazing, with everything looking like it was picked from the 1800s, not from a costume closet.

The total dedication to detail was definitely noticed.

The Theater Department put much effort into the production and it showed.

This show marks the final production for the department this year.