It’s finally here; TheatreFest Round Three! The final step for student-written plays, which includes a set, costumes, props, sound and lighting in the Little Theatre from March 13-15 at 8 p.m. and March 16 at 3 p.m.
Source: Instagram, @shutheatrearts
TheatreFest is an event hosted by the Theatre Arts Program (TAP) featuring a series of one-act plays and musicals created, directed, and performed by students in the intimate setting of the Little Theatre or Black Box Theatre.
The productions evolve from script readings to minimalistic staged performances, eventually progressing into fully developed shows. As the event unfolds, the number of performances decreases from 10 to two. This year’s lineup includes “Calliope” by Adam Petrosino and “I’ll Be Alright” by Lucas Orwicz.
“In all of its stages, TheatreFest is a fantastic opportunity to experience the process of new play development through student collaboration and effort, as well as a chance to share your voice in any role in the play development process,” said sophomore Adam Petrosino, an English and Theater Arts major who plans to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in playwriting.
In the first two creative rounds of TheatreFest, each production is led by a writer, director, stage manager and a team of actors. As TheatreFest moves into its third round, the shows expand with a team of designers handling lighting, sound, projections, costumes, props, hair and makeup. Additionally, a crew is brought on to assist in bringing the designers’ creations to life.
Petrosino’s “Calliope” is a one-act play about a family’s struggle to cope with tragedy, told through a cryptic encounter with a circus and its fortune teller. Petrosino was inspired to write this play at first from his fascination with tarot cards.
“The idea and illusions of fate in fortune telling then led to my idea of a circus, where a family’s dysfunction is shown through the acts they perform- the mime is a father unable to speak the truth, the knife thrower, a mother who wields truth blindly like a weapon, and the girl who encounters this circus, their daughter, refuses to hear truth’s sound,” Petrosino said.
Petrosino also emphasized the work that was put into making his vision a reality.
“‘Calliope’ is a play of both wild magic and deep reality as the worlds of a troubled family and a string of circus acts blend together in an entirely unique performative piece. A chance to see something as special and strange as this show is seldom, but more than anything, I would encourage people to see the show because of the immense creative effort and dedication that our team of actors, designers, crew and creative team have put towards making the magic of this show real,” said Petrosino.
Freshman TAP member Trish Reetz said she is very excited to see the final round of TheatreFest.
“I am excited to see the hard work of the crew and performers pay off in a great show, along with someone’s own writing of a show come to life,” Reetz said.
“Seeing TheatreFest is a great way to support student voices in the arts, as well as see stories not often told-from new, young perspectives and actors originating entirely new characters. It is rare for a university to showcase a fully student devised theatrical production, so this is quite a unique theatre experience,” said Petrosino.
