by Kayla Sheldon on 2015-10-27
Love filled the air throughout the Frederick Loewe Theatre at University of Redlands this past weekend as a handful of talented students put on various plays in their “Stories of Love,” featuring in the New Works Festival.
Friday night, two shows on Saturday, and the last show on Sunday afternoon, the creative performances were as successful as the last. The four plays, directed by Ashley Sparks and co-directed by Alyssa Reamy, were "Stalled" by Jessica Ackerson, "First Time" by Lilian Mitrev, "Semicolons" by Amanda Speidel with musical lyrics by Julia Smith and Alyssa Reamy, and "The House" by Mariah Kennedy.
According to Assistant Director Alyssa Reamy, the University hosts this particular show every two years. As opposed to previous years, this one had fewer performances total. However, each act went a little more into depth and were a bit longer, at about 20 minutes each.
There were four different performances that were each written and created by University of Redlands students in the play-writing class during the spring semester offered at the university.
Reamy explained, "The focus this year was a bit more toward the actual writing of the play." Each of the four plays were originally about thirty minutes long. However, the challenging part of this year's event was that the students and directors were still editing and adding to the script about a week before the play.
"There was even some improv that made it into the final play," she shared while explaining that everyone contributed to the plot. "It was very collaborative."
This festival isn’t only to showcase the students’ talent, but it was also in part with the Homecoming and Parents’ weekend.
"The entire weekend went really well. It definitely improved over time," Reamy added.
The talented cast of students included: Lise Laerdal Bryn asAlice in "First Time," Arianne Irucuta as Lily in "The House," Kevin Mitchell as James in "First Time," Sawyer Patterson as Adam in "The House," Esat Rexhepi as Dad and Jack in "Stalled," Sarah Smallman as Sharlene in "Stalled," Julia Surace Smith as Emma in "Semicolons," and Allison Torrance as Harper in "Stalled".
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Love filled the air throughout the Frederick Loewe Theatre of University of Redlands this past weekend as a myriad of talented students put on various plays in their “Stories of Love”, featuring in the New Works Festival.
Friday night, two shows on Saturday, and the last show on Sunday afternoon, the creative performances were as successful as the last.
The University has hosted this particular show over the years, on and off. As opposed to previous years, this one had fewer performances total, however, each act went a little more into depth and were a bit longer at about 20 minutes each.
There were four different performances that were each written and created by current Theatre students in the playwriting class offered at U of R.
This festival isn’t only to showcase the students’ talent, but it’s also in part with the Homecoming and Parents’ weekend.
Assistant Director Alyssa Reamy shared that the students from the Spring playwriting class created the plays and
Every 2 years –
Students wrote in the playwriting class last year
30 min plays originally.
Summer – director goes over them and picks
It went really really well, did 4 plays every night
It definitely imporved over time
Different – the playwrights – working on them throughout the semester
Last week – still editing.
The focus this year was a little bit more geared toward playwright
Vit was very collaborative 0 these characters are being shaped by directors, actors, students, - re writing the plot – the improv made it into the play.
Messy, complicated and whimsical love is at the heart of four original short plays to be presented by the University of Redlands Theatre Arts Department in the New Works Festival, part of Homecoming & Parents’ Weekend Oct. 23-25, 2015 at the Redlands campus.
The stories—set in a stalled car by the side of the road, in June Cleaver’s living room, in a kindergarten classroom and a haunted house being overgrown by grass—are fixed in the love lives of people who crave intimacy and face the circumstances that interfere with it.
As part of these workshops, the audience will have the unique opportunity to talk with the playwrights and performers about the plays.
WHAT: New Works Festival 2015—four original, interactive workshop productions written by University of Redlands students: Stalled, First Time, Semicolons and The House.
WHERE: Frederick Loewe Theatre, University of Redlands, located on University Street between Colton & Citrus avenues
WHEN: 8 p.m. on Oct. 23 | 1 & 8 p.m. on Oct. 24 | 2 p.m. on Oct. 25
TICKETS: Available online at www.redlands.edu/currentproductions or by phone at 909-748-8028. Cost is $12 for general admission and $8 for seniors, and students with University of Redlands ID. *Note: These performances are not suitable for children 13 and under.
INFORMATION: Call 909-748-8728