Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s Department of Theatre Arts will host its annual One-Act Play Festival on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 11-12, at 7:30 p.m. in Verser Theatre. The performances are free and open to the public.

The One-Act Play Festival is part of a senior level course for theatre majors. Seniors are required to select a play of their choosing, conduct casting and make decisions regarding scene set-up. This year’s festival will include six plays.

“The goal of the one acts is to provide our senior students an opportunity to be responsible for directing their own piece from start to finish,” said Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts Daniel Inouye. “It also provides the larger community of OBU and the students a chance to have that last hoorah, that last break before the craziness of finals week.”

 

Thursday night’s performances include:

A Leap-Year Bride: Cami Willis, a senior musical theatre and church media major from Flower Mound, Texas, will direct this play by Leslie M. Hickson. In the play, a woman wants to marry her coworker and plans on proposing to him during a leap year, per Irish tradition. However, her proposal note falls into the hands of a loud and jolly acquaintance causing confusion about who the intended groom is. Stage manager for the performance is Bethany Powell, a freshman theatre major from North Augusta, S.C. Performing in the show are Hunter Brown, a junior musical theatre major from Fort Smith, Ark.; Tara Clem, a junior musical theatre major from Texarkana, Texas; and Aaden Jones, a sophomore musical theatre major from North Little Rock, Ark.

The Nobodies: Jessica Smith, a senior musical theatre major for Van Buren, Ark., will direct this play by Jon Boustead. The play follows the story of a young woman who hears voices in her head that tell her she will never be good enough and who becomes queen of a land deprived of creativity and stories. Throughout the play, she encounters different events that empower her to fight the voices away and allow for the return of creativity. Stage manager for this performance is Dallas Sleeman, a junior theatre major from Kentwood, Mich. Performing in the show are Mattie Alexander, a freshman mass communications and theatre major from Choctaw, Okla.; Esther Atkinson, a freshman musical theatre major from Rogers, Ark.; Allison Austin, a freshman musical theatre major from Mena, Ark.; Tori Golden, a freshman theatre education major from Rogers, Ark.; Hannah Hines, a freshman musical theatre and mass communications major from Russellville, Ark.; Alexis Morgan, a sophomore choral music education major from Frisco, Texas; Michael Pere, a freshman musical theatre major from Roland, Ark.; Bret Sanders, a sophomore musical theatre major from Jonesboro, Ark.; Kenderick Scorza, a junior musical theatre major from North Little Rock, Ark.; Kayla Walker, a sophomore musical theatre major from North Little Rock, Ark.; Adam Wheat, fine arts administrator and 2010 Ouachita graduate; Natalie Williams, a junior music and theatre major from Little Rock, Ark.; and Anna Valdez, a freshman musical theatre major from Terrell, Texas.

Poison: Tyler Wisdom, a senior musical theatre major from North Little Rock, Ark., will direct this play by David Neale. The play features a fated conversation between two men, who have a stronger relationship than they realize. The stage manager for this performance is Marcus Moore, a freshman musical theatre major from Cabot, Ark. Performing in the show are Ben Braudrick, a freshman theatre arts major from Frisco, Texas, and Will Stotts, a freshman musical theatre major from Jonesboro, Ark.

 

Friday night’s performances include:

He Said She Said: Jalin Wesley, a senior musical theatre major from Little Rock, Ark., will direct this play by Alice Gerstenberg. The play follows the story of a gossiping woman and how her gossip causes trouble for those around her. The stage manager for this performance is Andrew Martin, a freshman theatre arts major from Hot Springs Village, Ark. Performing in the show are Mattie Bogoslavsky, a junior musical theatre and psychology major from North Little Rock, Ark.; Tori Clark, a junior choral music education major from Bonnerdale, Ark.; Garrett Sayers, a junior musical theatre major from Greenwood, Ark.; and Hailey Weiner, a junior musical theatre major from Maumelle, Ark.

The Dreaming: Blaine Surber, a senior musical theatre and mass communications major from Sulphur Springs, Texas, will direct this play by Richard James. In the play, two girls find themselves in an unknown room with no doors and windows with no recollection of how they got there. The girls find scraps of paper with various statements on them that they must piece together to reveal who they are and why they are there. The stage manager for this performance is Lauren Hutcheson, a sophomore musical theatre major from Shreveport, La. Performing in the show are Bethany Gere, a senior musical theatre and speech pathology major from White Hall, Ark., and Cat Williams, a junior biology and psychology major from Roland, Ark.

Medusa’s Tale: Benjamin Stidham, a senior musical theatre major from Dallas, Texas, will direct this play by Carol S. Lashof. The play tells the story of Medusa and how she transitioned from one of the most beautiful women in Athens to her punishment as a result of her struggle with Poseidon. The stage manager for this performance is Kacy Earnest, freshman theatre arts major from El Dorado, Ark. Performing in the play are Eli Ash, a freshman musical theatre major Little Rock, Ark.; Walter Dodd, a junior theatre arts and English major from Little Rock, Ark.; Hailee Draughon, a freshman musical theatre major from Mesquite, Texas; Nadalie Gill, a freshman theatre arts major from Price, Texas; Stacy Hawking, a junior musical theatre major from Little Rock, Ark.; Abby Root, a sophomore theatre arts major from Arkadelphia, Ark.; and Emily Shull, a sophomore theatre arts major from Little Rock, Ark.

For more information, contact Daniel Inouye at [email protected] or (870) 245-5560.

 

By Dalaney Thomas