By MacKenzie Hall
OBU News Bureau
ARKADELPHIA — The Ouachita Baptist University Department of Theatre Arts will present its One Act Play Festival on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 9-10, at 7:30 p.m. in Verser Theater. The bi-annual event, which is free and open to the public, features six short plays directed by students in completion of end-of-semester projects in Ouachita’s play directing course. All plays will be presented both nights of the festival.
Matthew Murry, visiting assistant professor of theatre, said, “Students direct, perform, design, crew, assist and run the shows. For directing students, this festival provides the opportunity to enjoy their work alongside an audience.”
Student directors are:
- Makenna Schaeffer, a senior musical theatre major from Texarkana, Ark., will direct “/ärt/” by Steven G. Martin. “/ärt/” is a translation of a French-language play about a conversation among three friends that begins with sharing opinions about a painting and soon leaves their relationship in jeopardy.
- Dani Frick, a senior theatre arts major from Benton, Ark., will direct “1 Bed 1 Bath” by Laura Pittenger. “1 Bed 1 Bath” is a dark romantic comedy that uses the New York City real estate market as a context for examining a broken relationship.
- Nathan Frick, a senior theatre arts major from Benton, Ark., will direct “A Date with Jesus” by Marjorie Bicknell. “A Date with Jesus” features a woman named Linda who follows her pastor’s advice and agrees to a coffee date with Jesus.
- Hannah Gothard, a senior musical theatre major from Cleveland, Texas, will direct “Wish You Were Here” by Claudia Haas. “Wish You Were Here” is a romance about two strangers—one arriving in Paris, one leaving the city for America.
- Emma Lawyer, a senior musical theatre major from Wynne, Ark., will direct “After the Day I’ve Had, Death Would be a Blessing” by Kris Thompson. The comedy “After the Day I’ve Had” follows a British woman who, at the end of a terrible day, arrives home to find a serial killer in her house.
- Sammy Campione, a senior musical theatre major from Waxahachie, Texas, will direct “Don’t Eat the Lava Lamp” by Ryan M. Bultrowicz. “Don’t Eat the Lava Lamp,” a horror comedy, is a study in handling temptation.
Each semester, students put in hard work to make their production come to life.
“The director guides the entire performance,” Murry said. “They work with the text, the movement, the emotions, the personalities of the characters, the thought behind the script, their interpretation, use of sound, use of props, use of set and use of lighting, to name a few.”
Murry hopes the audience will engage with the shows and see “that there are comedic, dramatic and romantic shows that offer a variety of entertainment.”
For more information, contact the OBU Box Office weekdays from 1-5 p.m. at (870)-245-5555, or email at boxoffice@obu.edu. To learn more about Ouachita’s productions by the School of Fine Arts, visit obu.edu/boxoffice.