Deep-colored rainbow fabric was draped across the rafters. A chandelier made of non-descript metal, with crystals dangling off its perimeter, centered the ceiling decor. And a small wooden platform filled center stage.

This was the opening scene of the premiere performance of the theatre arts department’s current production, “Don Juan.” The show opened at 8 p.m. on March 6 in the Little Theatre as the actors performed to a full house.

“I thought it was really well done,” said audience member Connie Hulsebos, a junior anthropology major. Hulsebos said she thought the play was creative and risque.

This version of Don Juan, the legendary tale of a womanizing rogue from Spain, was adapted by theatre arts lecturer and SF State alumnus Mark Jackson. According to Jackson, he combined elements of two classic plays based on the character.

“I looked at many different versions of the play, and there are hundreds of them, but it was the Moliere and the Pushkin that were most interesting to me,” Jackson said.

The set was designed to look kind of disjointed because it is supposed to look like the troupe picked up costumes and set pieces along their travels, said stage manager Sofia Dertimanis, a junior theatre arts major.

The production consisted of only seven actors playing a total of 14 roles.

Cast member Elaine Gavin, a senior theatre arts major, was one of the seven actors with multiple roles including a beggar woman and characters Charlotte, Laura and Violette.

“It was really fun, but a challenge,” she said of taking on four roles.

She also expressed her enjoyment in working with such a small cast. The actors rely on each other and have built up a trust that helps them perform, Gavin said.

“We’ve become really, really close,” she said.

Jackson originally wrote “Don Juan” for a theatre company, Art Street Theatre in San Francisco, which he ran for nine years before coming to SF State as a lecturer.

“We wanted to do something on seduction and Don Juan came up as a possible vessel for that,” Jackson said.

The project was set aside after several weeks of development when he moved to Germany and the theatre company dissolved, Jackson said.

“After I came back I started to work here [SF State] and they asked me about the possibility of doing a project and this came to mind right away,” he said.

Unlike most plays where actors attempt to create another world, this story is told from a unique perspective, Dertimanis said.

“It’s based on a traveling troupe from the late 17th century that has come into this space... and is performing this play for us,” she said.

Despite the small cast the production involved multiple crews and faculty members from several department classes including a lighting crew, set crew, costume designers and set designers.

“They worked really, really hard and it’s a really grueling schedule and... they created something that’s pretty amazing,” Dertimanis said.

The Little Theatre will show “Don Juan” March 13 through 15 at 8 p.m. and March 16 at 2 p.m.