In a semester full of plays, concerts and other events, the student directed One Acts give students the chance to shine behind the scenes.
It all starts with a class required for theater majors in which students learn about relating to people as a director, study a director and finally direct their own one act play.
“This is something I’ve looked forward to as the culmination of everything I’ve learned,” said Valerie Martinka, director of “Am I Blue,” which stars Jeff Stokes and Krysteena Koiner.
Directors pick their plays with different things in mind. Martinka chose hers based on how she related to it.
“I really wanted to do a feel-good comedy,” said Lauren Godfrey, director of “Fifty Years Ago,” starring Greg Schwartz and Heather Baker. “The idea of the show is you’re never too old to find love and enjoy life.”
Auditions were held in Verser Theatre in October and were open to all students. Although some directors preferred those with experience under their belt, others welcomed a variety of backgrounds.
“For me it was really a matter of who fit the concept for [the play],” Martinka said. She cast Malika Bhyer, a student from Morocco. “When [Malika] came into the audition she was willing to try new things … and I wanted to include her because her energy was so great.”
With a cast set, the work increased from there. Directors are responsible for every
A part of their show, including assigning a stage manager to assist them.
“Taking care of all the different aspects … set, costume, sound, lighting … makes it a fairly difficult job,” Godfrey said.
“But I like helping [the actors] develop their characters and creating and growing the show with them. It’s really a collaborative effort.”
Finally practices have been held and the shows will be performed this weekend. While this date might attract a bigger crowd, it adds a little extra stress to those involved.
“A lot of my classes go on the back burner,” Martinka said. “But when I need a break I can go work on [homework]. I feel a lot of ownership [in my play] and I want this to look as good as possible, so I want to put time into it.”
The shows are just as important to the actors, who also put in hours of effort.
“For me it’s a high priority because it’s [the director’s] experience as well as mine,” Stokes said. “I think this is one of the best experiences the theater offers though because it’s like a peer review.”
Seven plays will be performed on Dec. 11 and 12 in Verser Theatre. This year the plays have been divided into two sections to accommodate students and allow the shows to run both nights.
“Do Not Go Gentle” directed by Rachel Bland, “Fifty Years Ago” directed by Godfrey, “The Gift of the Magi” directed by Nixon and “The Cask of Amontillado” directed by Michael Krikorian will show at 6 p.m. on Thursday and at 8:30 p.m. on Friday.
“Lunch Hour” directed by Haley Broadaway, “At a Beetle’s Pace” directed by Cori Kidder and “Am I Blue” directed by Martinka will show at the opposite times on each night.
