April 28 , 2006

Student Directed One-Act Festival to open May 4

By JASON E. WEBER
weberj@marietta.edu

The theatre season is coming to a close. All that is left is the annual student directed one act festival, and that is set to go up next Thursday at 8:00 p.m. in Studio 101.

The one-act festival is the culmination of a year-long class in direction offered by the theatre department. During the first semester, the students discuss theory and increase their ability to analyze plays. Then in the second semester, the student’s pick a one-act play to work intensely on and eventually direct as part of this festival. The event is a tremendous learning experience for young directors.

In addition to learning how to think artistically about a production and how to lead a team of actors, The students have the opportunity to learn to communicate with student costumers from the costuming class and student set workers from the play production class. All give the students just inkling of what it feels like to be a director.

If they perform well and enjoy the experience, the students may be offered an opportunity to direct again next year and will make up the Studio Series for the 2006-2007 Theatre Season.
This festival will feature eleven plays with a wide range of styles and periods. The plays to be performed are “The Case of The Crushed Petunias,” directed by Daniel May, “The American Century,” directed by Heather Keith, “The Root of Chaos,” directed by Patrick Simone, “Forget Him,” directed by Dana Baumgartl, “Siliasocles,” directed by Scott Nyitray, “Gotham is Safe Again,” directed by Sam Spradlin, “Suppressed Desires,” directed by Elizabeth Allard, “Finders-Keepers,” directed by Audrey Mihalacki, “Valley Forgery,” directed by Diana Rohlman, “The Open Meeting,” directed by Neil Pickering, and “Date with a Stranger,” directed by Nick Aylward.

The plays will be divided into sets and each set will have two performances. Listings of the plays to be performed at a given time will be posted at the theatre.

Performance will be Thursday, May 4 through Sunday, May 7 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 6 and Sunday May 7 at 2:00 p.m. at Studio 101 in the Hermann Fine Arts Center. Admission is Free.