Jason Steffen is a man of metaphors. Any way he twists it, comparing two unlike things can seem unusual, especially when it comes relating metal music with 17th century theatre.
Senior theater major Jason Steffen, the composer of ASU’s new production of “The Misanthrope” by Moliere, has a personal CD collection filled with metal bands ranging from Supertramp to Metallica — but remains an ardent lover of Shakespeare.
To be honest, Steffen said he wasn’t always a Moliere fan. In fact, he grew up with Shakespeare spoken and discussed around his home, according to his mother Laura.
She tried to expose him to everything, from giving him a rubber band plastic guitar when he was a year old, to driving him to guitar lessons in middle school.
Laura said the “misunderstood youth” temperament might have struck a chord with Jason after she handed him a Beatles CD in fifth grade.
“Heavy metal gets a bad rap,” she said. “I don’t know if you can be a misanthrope with country music.”
During the weeks when his dad was gone for work, 13-year-old Steffen would steal moments playing his father’s electric Stratocaster. He began recruiting classmates for a band, but Steffen said the efforts were fruitless.
“It was completely awful,” Steffen said. “We were made fun of by everybody, simply for trying — and they were right.”
Even now, keeping up a band’s activities requires a lot of maintenance and talent. Finances are constantly on the brink and time is continually drained. Steffen has to prioritize his days being the lead singer of his current band, Singularity.
Jack Fliegler, guitarist and vocalist for the band, sees Steffen as an integral collaborator, contributing so much more to its creativity than he originally expected. Fliegler knows the members have side projects, but he also understands Steffen’s drive for the other side of the arts.
“Obviously Jason’s really busy … but that’s a big thing for him,” Fliegler said. “And I wouldn’t even dream of him to divert attention from that to the band.”
Fliegler also calls Steffen a weirdo: a very no-nonsense, great friend, always-makes-me-laugh weirdo.
“If you’re looking for a friend who will never hide anything from you, he’s the guy for that,” Fliegler said.
In a way, Steffen plays a character that shares his similar traits.
“The Misanthrope” follows Alceste, a rock star embroiled with the dishonesty of the music industry. His collated fame hasn’t provided him comfort and neither does his love interest Celimene, played by Amber Wright. With her subtly two-faced, critical actions, Celimene is adored by Alceste.
Alceste also critiques those around him, yet he does so in a much more confrontational manner.
“(Jason has) got the perfect mixture of being honest and blunt about things,” Fliegler said. “He’ll straight up tell you the truth to your face, but he does it in a way that’s really empathetic.”
This isn’t the first time Steffen has played and written music for one show. He’s been cast in Southwest Shakespeare Company’s performance of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.”
Co-founder for the company Kevin Dressler said Steffen’s creative approach to classics and his ability to attack ideas with a passion and gusto makes him stand out from other students.
“Jason’s an improvisational, free spirit kind of person, but he has a real love for classical theatre,” Dressler said. “He’s a kind of guy that can get in an argument with you, but charming enough that you don’t feel ill will.”
William Partlan, an associate professor at the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, approached Steffen with the possibility of mixing metal with Moliere, which Steffen responded to immediately. However, Partlan didn’t give the lead role to Steffen right away.
Instead, Partlan said he gave Steffen an entire summer to focus on writing music for himself, not knowing who would sing it. Other students tried for the part, it but it seemed Steffen made the most natural fit.
“His combination of talents, personality and acting skills made it quite clear he was the only and truly right person,” Partlan said.
Partlan said the great thing about metal musicians is their approach to the ironies of life. They don’t take themselves too seriously, are quick to recognize hypocrisies and don’t bend to “society’s flatteries.”
Partlan said Jason possesses the same characteristics, in addition to kindness, humility and a few more. “Jason is refreshingly frank and quite bright — intellectually bright,” Partlan said.
To Steffen, Moliere is a neoclassical rendition of South Park. Steffen said it’s vulgar and dirty, but necessary to highlight society’s flaws.
For a work written almost 400 years ago, “The Misanthrope” can share similar elements in both metal and theatre. “It’s completely made of outcasts, of every single different kind,” Steffen said.
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