“Beware: 10-Minute Plays Ahead” signs around campus can make a person wonder what these plays are about and what it took to make them happen.
On Dec. 1 and 8, playwrights enrolled in English professor John Biguenet’s class, “Writing the Short Script” collaborated with theatre and graphic design students in the production of a series of 10-minute plays, performed in Marquette Theatre. There were seven plays performed each night.
“John Biguenet is the ‘brains’ behind the entire collaboration. He … approached Professor (Daniela) Marx and I about collaborating and performing staged readings of the students’ final scripts,” said Patrick Gendusa, theatre arts and dance professor and director of the plays, in an e-mail.
Marx, an associate professor of graphic design, taught the art component of the collaboration and Gendusa provided the actors.
“I choose students who are interested, who have not had the opportunity yet to perform in a mainstage show, and most importantly, students who have the talent to bring these characters and lines to life in a very short amount of time with very little or no rehearsal,” Gendusa said.
The plays were staged readings, meaning that the actors read the scripts while performing.
Dylan Miller, actor and theatre arts freshman, said that the actors were not using costumes, while another actor read stage directions, there was no set, and the lighting was simple. Playwrights wrote about subjects such as relationships, dealing with death, comments on society and comments on theater.
The inclusion of the performance of these 10-minute plays brought several reactions from the playwriting students.
Kerry Cullen, English writing junior, said that famous playwrights do not get to see their plays performed often. Sarah Wild, music industry business track senior, said that she assumed any script of hers would sound ridiculous onstage. Theatre arts senior Adam Alonso said that it was helpful to see his play acted out in front of him.
“By hearing the play performed I was able to pick out areas that went beautifully, and other parts of the play that need to be reworked,” Alonso said in an e-mail. “It was a wonderful experience, and has really helped me grow as a writer. The actors did a wonderful job, and taught me so much about my script.”
Since actors only had a few days to prepare, many read over the plays a few times, practiced with partners and asked playwrights questions about how to portray characters best.
Khiry Armstead, theatre arts freshman, noted that since this was the first time the writers saw their characters onstage, meeting with playwrights beforehand was necessary.
“In order to perform the plays, we needed trained actors,” Biguenet said. “Professor Gendusa was very generous and accepted to direct the program, (and) Professor Marx was very happy to integrate (the promotion of the play) into her course.”
Marx’s students created 17 designs that were exhibited outside the entrance of Marquette Theatre for the promotion of the plays. The winning design of a caution sign, created by graphic arts junior Phil Dodson, was displayed around campus.
Placing a caution sign where it does not belong will draw attention, which was the goal of his design, Dodson said, adding that his design complements the idea of the 10-minute plays and does not target one specific act.
The plays are “short, sweet, and straight to the point. Just like the sign,” Dodson said.
Precious Esie can be reached at [email protected]
