Concordia hosts one act play festival
Students from Concordia University, Nebraska hosted the annual spring One Act Festival two weekends in April. Performances took place Friday, Saturday and Sunday April 1-3, beginning at 7:30 p.m. and April 8-10, beginning at 8:00 p.m.
This year’s festival offered nine one-act plays and a musical review directed by students enrolled in Concordia’s Play Production course, taught by Assistant Professor of Communication and Theater Bryan Moore. Many plays this year were original pieces written by Concordia students.
“Play Production is essentially a capstone experience for students to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned from previous theatre classes into directing and producing their own production,” said Moore. “This practical experience is especially useful for those who plan to direct their own shows at their church, school, or in their community.”
The practical experience is what director, senior Dottie Avery is looking forward to the most. “I finally get to learn about theatre from the other side of the curtain,” said Avery, who directed David Ives’ Sure Thing. “Directing is something I’ll hopefully get to do in the future, so this class is giving me a chance to dip my toes into the directing world.”
The experience is not only beneficial for the directors, however. The student actors involved also gain from being in one acts.
“Students should be in one acts because it is something new and different,” said director, Rory Wendelin. “Compared to main stage shows, it is less stressful. It’s a good way to get going in the theatre department at Concordia.”
Avery agrees. “Many students who have never done theatre before like to try one acts because they’re not as time-consuming. Plus, many have friends who are directing the shows, which always makes it more fun.”
April 1-3 performances
Time Flies by David Ives, directed by Marty Kois, Junior, Omaha, Neb.
Two Mayflies try to riddle out the meaning of life as they realize they have only one day to meet, mate, have children and die.
Cast:
Micah Hollenbeck, Sophomore, Wheat Ridge, Colo.
Lindsey Kellerman, Junior, Mountain Home, Idaho
Cayde Sprecker, Junior, Woodbine, Iowa
Arena, written and directed by Daniel Miller, Sophomore, West Point, Neb.
A piece of experimental theatre which attempts to explore duality in human nature based on the expectations of the world.
Cast:
Beth Barger, Senior, Fairbury, Neb.
Bethany Osberg, Sophomore, Norfolk, Neb.
Sure Thing by David Ives, directed by Dottie Avery, Senior, San Antonio, Texas
Your not-so-typical boy-meets-girl story in which Bill and Betty try to make a connection with the assistance of a bell, which dings each time one of the two says something unsatisfactory to the other restarting the conversation.
Cast: Austin Albers, Sophomore, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Rachel Bauman, Junior, Norfolk, Neb.
The Adventurous Adventures of Shermock Jones and Dr. Potsam written by Nick Lee, Senior, Seward, Neb., directed by Beth Brackman, Junior, Parker, Colo.
The story of two London detectives solving the murder of a man who is found discarded in a shallow grave. This parody of Sherlock Holmes creates a world of Shermock Jones that is sure to leave audiences laughing.
Cast:
Emily Barz, Sophomore, Dubuque, Iowa
Jesse Gaunt, Senior, Saint Charles, Mo.
Cory Prelerson, Junior, Papillion, Neb.
Chad Wilshusen, Graduate Student, Seward, Neb.
From the Mouths of Babes by Eva Anderson, directed by Josh Schultz, Junior, Mapleton, Minn.
Davey, a notorious troublemaker, has just been released from the time-out area of Happy Feet Daycare. He now has one objective: to convince Kimberly and Eli, his fellow playmates, to help him kill the daycare teacher. Employing devious psychological games, he slowly breaks them down and brings them over to his side.
Cast:
Brittany Becker, Sophomore, Saint Peters, Mo.
Ryan Fiero, Sophomore, Austin, Texas
Jordan Schultz, Junior, Beemer, Neb.
Joey Weilnau, Junior, Monroe, Mich.
April 8-10 performances
A Love Story You’ve Heard Before, But Won’t Mind Hearing Again written by Sarah Dinger, Junior, Pocatello, Idaho, directed by Caitlynn Schwehn, Sophomore, Grand Island, Neb.
This is a sweet story of Kellie, a discouraged girl with a lot of talent, and a boy who sees her potential and is determined to draw it out of her with help from a quirky old lady and a chipper narrator.
Cast:
Lindsey Auten, Senior, Blue Hill, Neb.
Mallory Hicks, Sophomore, Aurora, Colo.
Audrey Quick, Senior, Hanceville, Ala.
Stephanie Rippstein, Freshman, Seward, Neb.
Andrew Rogers, Senior, Tacoma, Wash.
Meet the Iscariots written by Ladd Wendelin, Graduate Student, Lincoln, Neb., directed by Rory Wendelin, Junior, Oberlin, Kan.
This is a humorous look at Judas Iscariot as a young boy. Judas earns a silver coin from his sister Beth for his first betrayal.
Cast:
Sarah Dinger, Junior, Pocatello, Idaho
Ryan Duerr, Junior, Warren, Mich.
Alina Swoboda, Junior, Genoa, Neb.
Steven Whitney, Junior, Kenyon, Minn.
Boiling People in My Coffee by Jonathan Yukich, directed by Bryce Tellmann, Senior, New Salem, N.D.
Faced with microscopic civilizations in their coffee and a corpse on their couch, a husband and wife attempt to cope with the loss of their son by reinventing the boundaries, rules, and nature of death. This short play is a ridiculous, comical and dark examination of the unfairness and finality of dying.
Cast:
Tyler Beltz, Senior, Norfolk, Neb.
Sarah Heins, Freshman, Higginsville, Mo.
Tory Petz, Senior, Beemer, Neb.
Andrew Schwartz, Sophomore, Greeley, Colo.
The Silent Treatment: A Collection of Three Plays Without Words, written and directed by Nick Lee, Senior, Seward, Neb.
The show is three separate situations put to music, each with its own comedic purpose portrayed entirely without words.
Cast:
Austin Albers, Sophomore, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Taylor Baumeister, Freshman, Ironwood, Mich.
John Koopman, Junior, Milbank, S.D.
Abbie Kuehn, Senior, Lincoln, Neb.
Heidi Niedfeldt, Senior, Stella, Neb.
Brittany Pottschmidt, Junior, Brownstown, Ind.
Amanda Schroeder, Junior, Stevens Point, Wis.
Basically Broadway – A Musical Review directed by Beth Bargar, Senior, Fairbury, Neb.
This musical performance takes a look at some of Broadway’s favorite tunes.
Cast:
Tyler Beltz, Senior, Norfolk, Neb.
Sarah Dinger, Junior, Pocatello, Idaho
Ryan Duerr, Junior, Warren, Mich.
Kristen Easler, Senior, Fredericksburg, Va.
Micah Hollenbeck, Sophomore, Wheat Ridge, Colo.
Julie Marquardt, Freshman, Janesville, Minn.
Daniel Miller, Sophomore, West Point, Neb.
Heather Niedfeldt, Senior, Stella, Neb.
Brittany Pottschmidt, Junior, Brownstown, Ind.
Steven Whitney, Junior, Kenyon, Minn.
Accompanists:
Sara Schultz, Senior, Wamego, Kan.
Elizabeth Wittig, Freshman, Saginaw, Mich.
Rebecca Wittig, Sophomore, Saginaw, Mich.
