Homecoming is the time to celebrate Winthrop’s history and its traditions. One tradition that has been around for several years is the Fall One-Act Festival, hosted by Winthrop’s theatre department. Over three nights, upper-class theatre majors in the Directing II class get to premiere one-act plays in Winthrop’s studio theatre. For some it is their first chance at ever directing a production, allowing them to learn what it means to have a vision and let that vision play out on the stage.
Six student-directed plays will be performed in this year’s fall festival. Each show has unique themes and was hand-picked by the director. The directors also had to go through the process of casting their shows and creating a unique vision for their production. The process has taken almost their whole semester, but soon their hard work will get to be seen by friends, family and fellow Winthrop students.
Joy White is a junior theatre major and is directing “Any Body for Tea” by C.B. Gilford. White is a veteran performer and most recently starred in Winthrop’s production of “Luna Gale.”
“I wanted to do this show because I really liked the humor and felt a connection to the ladies in the show that I think a lot of girls can make,” White said.
This is White’s first time directing a show, which she has found to be “shockingly smooth.”
“I am very thankful for my amazing stage managers and devoted cast,” White said.
Isaiah Vorderstrasse will also make his directorial debut with his show “Counting to Three” by Joe Anson.
“I really liked the story and intimacy of the show and wanted to do a show with a small cast,” Vorderstrasse said.
The process for Vorderstrasse was “tedious” in the beginning, but he has found it to be fun overall getting to create a show.
Senior theatre major Caroline Hunter is directing “Spitting Daisies” by Kerri Kochanski. This is also Hunter’s first time directing. She originally found herself struggling to pick a show.
“I wanted to direct a show that meant a lot to me as well as something that could reach the students here at Winthrop,” Hunter said, “When I found “Spitting Daisies,” it hit a spark in me and I knew that I was meant to do this. It touches on human connection and how just saying something could save someone’s life, and that to me is so powerful with today’s world.”
This year’s Fall One-Act Festival will be an exciting mix of plays, with themes ranging from mystery to romantic comedy. In order to make the festival run efficiently, the six plays are split over the three days into two groups. Group A performs Friday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. Group B performs on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. The festival will be held in Winthrop’s Studio Theatre inside Johnson Hall. Tickets are $5 with a Winthrop ID, $10 for the general public and are likely to sell out.
