Theatre Presents Annual One-Act Play Festival
In a process of learning, growth and collaboration, student actors and directors come together to produce a series of plays known as the One-Act Play Festival. Alma College Theatre presents four works that are directed, designed and performed by students.
This year’s festival takes place at 8 p.m. Friday Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors 62 and up, and free for Alma College staff, students, and youth 18 and under. Seating is reserved. Call (989) 463-7304 for ticket information.
“The One-Act Play Festival is very different from the other Alma College Theatre productions,” says Hillary Sea Bard, theatre intern. “Students hold the major positions, and our faculty oversee their work. It's an opportunity for students to learn firsthand collaborative skills. The production becomes their classroom. Students are directors, actors, costume designers, lighting designers, set designers and stage managers. They do it all.”
The performances will include “Check, Please,” written by Jonathan Rand and directed by Joe Jezewski; “Affair Play,” written by Jessica Goldburg and directed by Traverse City sophomore Tara Riedel; “Paternity Ward,” written by David MacGregor and directed by Bard; and “Negotiating The Elusive Perfect One Night Stand,” written by Jason Parker Green and directed by Calvin Mohrhardt.
“Affair Play” depicts an intimate exchange between a man and his mistress in an honest exploration of desire and loyalty.
“I have never played a mistress before,” says Harper Woods sophomore Olyvia Brown. “I’m used to playing the innocent woman type. Throughout the show my character learns new pieces of information about her lover and his wife, and she learns that he isn’t actually loyal or honest at all. It has been a very exhilarating experience so far. I know in the end this role will help me grow as an actor immensely.”
“Paternity Ward” is a transformative piece illustrating the commonality of the human experience. Todd is a young, unprepared father who finds himself kicked out of the delivery room. Anxious about the birth of his child, he encounters Colleen, who to his surprise is also expecting a child.
“Check, Please” is a charming contemporary comedy about seeking connection and finding your feet in the mixed bag of personalities that is the dating world. Nashville, Tenn., senior Lauren Kittrell plays a fetching young woman known simply in the script as “Girl,” who must run a gauntlet of bizzarre blind dates.
"I believe that many young women today can connect with Girl,” says Kittrell. “She somehow finds herself on dates with men of all extremities. It’s amazing to me how brave Girl is. ‘Check, Please’ will make you think twice before agreeing to go on a blind date."
The festival also will include “Negotiating The Elusive Perfect One Night Stand,” a witty dialog between two singles who happen across each other in a trendy dive bar and discover a mutual attraction.
Please note that the performance may contain explicit language and adult situations.
Posted: Thu, December 1st, 2011 at 8:40AM
