Fall Directors’ Showcase Features Student Talent

The Theatre Department will present eight student-directed one-act plays during its semesterly Directors’ Showcase.

Performances take place at 8 p.m. Dec. 8-9 in Ophelia Parrish Severns Theatre, and admission is free and open to the public.

The showcase begins Dec. 8 with Nicholas Huber’s direction of “Canker Sores and Other Distractions,” a story of a divorced couple who meet at a restaurant for old times’ sake. “Flop Cop,” as directed by Mitchell Flottman, is about a concerned cop who learns that there’s a wild monologuing playwright on the loose that he must confront. Natalie Hansen will direct the next play, “Fear,” that tells the story of what happens when there is a serial killer loose in your neighborhood. The final performance of the night will be Lexi Diaz’s direction of “The Dungeons and The Dragons,” a story of four friends who go on a glittery role-playing adventure involving magical goats and hot pockets.

The Dec. 9 performances will begin with Kristin Hafen’s direction of “Ferris Wheel,” a story of strangers who get to know each other while stuck on a Ferris wheel. Kitty Corum will direct the next play, “Words, Words, Words,” which covers three monkeys who try their hands at writing "Hamlet" as part of an experiment. “The Fifteen Minute Hamlet,” as directed by Keaton Richey, tells of a whirlwind tour of the greatest moments of "Hamlet" in 13 minutes and then again in two minutes. The final performance will be Marissa D. Butler’s direction of “POOF!,” the story of a housewife who has come to the end of her rope with her abusive husband.

The showcase is a result of Truman’s play direction course, taught by assistant professor David Charles Goyette. The course is required of all theatre majors in order to graduate, and each student must direct a one-act play as the final assignment. One-acts to be performed must have been published within the last 80 years, be between 10 and 30 minutes in length and be without heavy scenic, costume, light or sound effects. These final productions represent a synthesis of numerous concepts explored in the course of the semester, including exploration of composition and picturization techniques, scene analysis, how to develop a directorial approach and methods on how to work with actors. Each play is entirely student-run.

More information about the plays, directors and actors can be found at facebook.com/trumantheatre and facebook.com/trumansal.