Ouachita Stories

The Ouachita Baptist University Department of Theatre Arts will host its student-directed One-Act Play Festival in Verser Theatre on Thursday, Dec. 7, and Friday, Dec. 8. The performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

The one-acts are final projects for students enrolled in a directing class who are working to complete a theatre degree. Seven one-acts will be performed at the festival.

“Each director is in charge of casting their one-act; leading rehearsals; coming up with the set, costume, makeup designs; and creating the best show they can in a matter of weeks,” said Will Stotts, a senior musical theatre major from Jonesboro, Ark. Stotts will direct The Room by Harold Pinter.

“I think this experience has helped me to appreciate my professors and directors even more than I did before,” Stotts added. “Their jobs are extremely challenging, but so rewarding.”

Dr. Scott Holsclaw, professor of theatre arts and the instructor of the directing class, said he finds this year’s festival special due to “the quality of the literature chosen.”

“The biggest takeaway for me is getting to work with the student directors, seeing their visions that they’ve been working on most of the semester come to life,” said Autumn Romines, a sophomore musical theatre major from Cabot, Ark. Romines is a member of The Actor’s Nightmare cast.

 

Performances include:

Naomi in the Living Room by Christopher Durang, directed by Jacob Hemsath, is a comedy about a visit between Naomi and her son and daughter-in-law. “Naomi is a schizophrenic with emotions that change at the drop of a dime,” said Hemsath, a senior musical theatre major from Wylie, Texas. “John and Johnna endure the friendly, yet hostile conversations as they try to get through the night.” Performing in the play are Nathan Frick, a freshman musical theatre major from Arkadelphia, Ark.; Molly Kennedy, a sophomore worship arts major from Melissa, Texas; and Kacy Spears, a senior mass communications major from El Dorado, Ark.

Comrades in Arms by Percival Wilde, directed by Anna Joie Valdez, is a comedy about a wealthy young widow and her admirer. “The two personalities go head-to-head in a game of masks and posturing until a devastating twist forces them to see each other for who they truly are,” said Valdez, a senior musical theatre major from Terrell, Texas. Performing in the play are Hannah Saunders, a senior musical theatre major from St. Paul, Ark.; Ryan Lynch, a freshman musical theatre major from Bryant, Ark.; Olivia Witcher, a senior theatre arts major from Little Rock, Ark.; and Stephen Vaughn, a junior theatre arts major from Hot Springs, Ark.

Episode on an Autumn Evening by Friedrich Durrenmatt, directed by Chris Baggett, is a drama about a bookkeeper and a novelist. “A bookkeeper approaches a novelist, noticing that the 21 murder mysteries the novelist is famed for just happen to coincide with 21 unsolved actual murders,” said Baggett, a senior theatre arts major from Maumelle, Ark. Performing in the play are Duel Cunningham, a junior computer science major from Cabot, Ark.; Bradley Moseley, a freshman theatre arts major from Fate, Texas; Sam Elmore, a freshman Christian studies/Christian missions major from Wynne, Ark.; Sophia Chiocco, a freshman musical theatre major from Bella Vista, Ark.; Brooklyn Jennings, a freshman theatre arts major from Greenville, Texas; and Melodie DuBose, a freshman musical theatre major from Minden, La.

The Room by Harold Pinter, directed by Will Stotts, is a drama about characters Rose and Bert. “Rose and Bert live in a one-room apartment, safe from the outside world,” said Stotts, a senior musical theatre major from Jonesboro, Ark. “It is up to the audience to figure out what they’re hiding from.” Performing in the play are Jess Elliff, a junior musical theatre major from Maumelle, Ark.; Cedar Valdez, a sophomore musical theatre major from Garfield; Micah Brooks, a junior musical theatre major from Rockwall, Texas; Evan Dowers, a sophomore choral music education major from North Little Rock, Ark.; Lizzy Griffin, a senior musical theatre major from Pittsburg, Texas; and Philip Robinson, a junior musical theatre major from Lewisville, Texas.

Elephant’s Graveyard by George Brant, directed by Mattie Alexander, is a drama about a Tennessee circus. “When a street parade ends in tragedy, the people of Erwin will call for the blood of a different kind of killer,” said Alexander, a senior theatre arts and mass communications double major from Midwest City, Okla. Performing in the play are Logan Dooley, a freshman musical theatre major from Allen, Texas; Rebekah Biles, a senior kinesiology major from Tulsa, Okla.; Elizabeth Dawson, a freshman musical theatre major from Little Rock, Ark.; Jeffrey Wood, a sophomore Christian studies/Christian ministries major from Valley Mills, Texas; Bawo Asagba, a freshman musical theatre major from Murphy, Texas; Seth Daniell, a senior music composition major from Arkadelphia, Ark.; Mercedes Mata, a junior mass communications major from Bryant, Ark.; Rahlea Zinck, a freshman theatre arts major from Little Rock, Ark.; and Matt Evans, a freshman graphic design major from Little Rock, Ark.

The Actor’s Nightmare by Christopher Durang, directed by Andrew Martin, is a comedy about a young man mistaken to be an actor. “He is forced to perform in a collection of plays alongside historical actors and actresses,” said Martin, a senior theatre arts major from Hot Springs Village, Ark. Performing in the play are Luke Wagner, a freshman elementary education major from Alexander, Ark.; Scarlett Castleberry, a freshman political science major from Bryant, Ark.; Autumn Romines, a sophomore musical theatre major from Cabot, Ark.; Hannah Hill, a sophomore musical theatre major from Alexander, Ark.; and Ben Adair, a freshman mass communications major from Benton, Ark.

Words, Words, Words by David Ives, directed by Nadalie Gill, is a comedy about three monkeys. Gill described the play with the question, “If monkeys typed away into infinity, could they eventually produce Hamlet?” Gill is a senior theatre arts and mass communications double major from Price, Texas. Performing in the play are Raleigh Peterson, a sophomore graphic design major from Branson, Mo.; Dylan Blackwood, a sophomore musical theatre major from Walnut Ridge, Ark.; Andrew Crook, a senior mathematics major from Little Rock, Ark.; and Michaela Finley, a junior musical theatre major from Cedarville, Ark.

For more information, contact Dr. Scott Holsclaw at [email protected] or (870) 245-5561.

 

By Addy Goodman

November 29, 2017