Upperclass Theater students prepare to showcase what they’ve learned at Winthrop from November 21-23.
By Gabriela Griggs
Staff Writer
Winthrop University’s annual Fall One Act Festival begins on November 21. This yearly series displays multiple one-act plays directed by upperclassman theater majors, originating from the 1999-2000 Winthrop CVPA performance season.
This festival is described by the university as “A lively, entertaining and eclectic mix of one-act plays directed by advanced theatre students” and also warns that some of the one-acts contain mature content and language.
The one-acts being performed in this year’s festival series are: “Hope Trapped Inside” by Robin Berl, “Gloaming” by Karli Jean Lonnquis, “A Shiksa in Shul” by Mikaela Simon, “Dear John” by Cam Eickmeyer, “Who’s on Alpha” by Matt Thompson and Mike McCafferty, “Thread of Fate” by Samiyah Jeffery, “The Last Dance” by Clare Tattersal and “Sure Thing” by Davide Ives.
Meera Chokshi, a junior Musical Theatre major, sat down to discuss the one-act she’s participating in, titled “Hope Trapped Inside.” She describes the one act as “introspective, beautiful, [and] hopeful.”
“[Hope Trapped Inside] explores such relevant themes and I think we can all identify with what Pandora and Hope are experiencing. Finding the light in the darkness can be so difficult, but when you find it it’s beautiful,” Chokshi said.
The audition process for the One Act Festival runs a little differently than that of a typical theatrical audition. For the festival, aspiring auditioners perform their monologues in front of multiple directors, all of whom are looking to cast for different genres of plays.
This turns out to become an interesting experience for a lot of prospective participants. After the auditions conclude, students are eligible to be asked to return for callbacks.
However, a student can also be called back for multiple one acts, making them jump from comedic to dramatic tones all in the same afternoon.
“I love the One Act Festival. Having so many shows gives us the opportunity to explore comedy and dramatic plays in the same audition process. I absolutely love the variety. There is always such an amazing selection and I really loved this year’s group of plays,” Chokshi said.
This unique audition process can also create an interesting atmosphere behind the scenes, as multiple directors could be eyeing the same actor to lead their respective plays.
The run time of the average one-act play is around 30 minutes to an hour. While the plays may be shorter in length, they are often still focused on heavy and important topics similar to those explored in the common two-act play structure.
One play in this year’s festival, “The Last Dance” by Clare Tattersall, explores the journey of a woman “on the brink of despair” as she puts out an ad to search for a dance partner.
The most notable difference between a one-act and a full length production lies within the intimacy of the rehearsal process.
Due to the smaller cast size and smaller span of rehearsal, actors describe the experience as more intimate than that of a full length production.
“I have done two full length shows at Winthrop, ‘Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse’ and ‘Antigone.’ The difference between a full length show and the one acts is the intimacy of the process. Most of the one acts only have a few characters, so you are able to build close relationships so much quicker. Also, the rehearsal process is only about a month long, whereas a full length show is about two and a half months. It feels like everything happens so quickly, but the end result is so satisfying,” Chokshi said.
The annual Winthrop One Act Festival is a cultural event beginning on November 21 and ends on the 23, with both matinee and evening performances available. Tickets are priced at $5 for those with a Winthrop ID and $10 for the general public.
