On April 8, the DU Department of Theatre began its Senior Capstone Festival performances in the JMac White-Box Theater. Three short plays directed by DU seniors went to stage with actors of all years starring in the shows. These three shorts are the first of a two-part series with another three shorts yet to come.
The first play was “There Shall Be No Bottom (A Bad Play for Worse Actors),” which is a light-hearted comedy that revolves around the cast of play within the play that struggles to keep it together, encountering every difficulty imaginable. This play was written by Mark O’Donnel and directed by Nicole Campbell. It was a well-written script that required a good deal of understanding among the actors; after all, it is a tall order to act as if you have forgotten your lines or skipped ahead in the script when, in reality, you are right on cue. The acting was impressive and seemed natural despite the very unnatural request of having actors appear as though they were acting poorly. Danforth Webster and David French starred in this play with Wren Shuyler and Sara Sachs supporting.
“A Thing I Cannot Name,” written by Matthew Minnicino and directed by Adeline Mann, was the second. This play tells the story of two lovers searching for that spark they once had but seems to be missing. The actors go through a number of role-playing scenarios to try to evoke some sort feeling they feel has gone missing. The story ties in early lines in each role-play to give the audience an incredible sense of understanding and even throws an allusion to Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” allowing the audience to further relate.
The last in the first threesome is “Fissures (Lost and Found),” written by Steven Epp, Cory, Hinkle, Dominic Orland, Dominique Serrand, Deborah Stein and Victoria Stewart. The play was directed by Tony Ryan. In “Fissures (Lost and Found)” characters struggle with memory in elaborate fashion, highlighting the incredibly difficult issue of exact and complete recollection. Characters’ fragmented memories intertwine, showing the audience that there is something related among all of them. This play had the largest cast to accompany its long list of writers. Garrett Biggs and Daniel Crumrine starred alongside support from Rachel Reidenbaugh, Liz Butler and Aristotle Johns.
“It has been a privilege working with so many people, sharing lots of laughs and memories,” said Johns, first-year student. “[I thank director] Tony Ryan for the opportunity and for having such great artistic vision.”
Johns’ statement, as well as the performance and quality of the plays, gave DU students a glimpse into the talent of the DU Department of Theatre. The hard work and achievement of these students was a privilege to have the opportunity to see. The shorts offered an extremely intriguing sample of the work done by senior students studying theater and truly exemplifies the meaning of the word showcase.
Cycle Two of the Senior Capstone Festival will again be in JMac running May 6 through 10. Admissions to the second cycle will be $10. Cycle Two will be comprised of five plays, “3:59,” “Eat Cake,” “A Ghost Story” and “Woyzeck,” directed by Cicely Galm, Jasmine Syzmprunch, Alexis Robbins and Hannah Young respectively.
