Six Plays in Six Days — The One-Acts Return to Utah State University

March 21-26 marks the return of the annual Festival of One-Acts, presented by the advanced directing class from the department of theatre arts at Utah State University. The performances are part of the Utah State Theatre season.

 

During the six-day run, six separate one-act plays are presented on the Studio Theatre stage (FA 224) in the Chase Fine Arts Center on the Utah State campus. The productions begin at 7:30 p.m. each night, with general admission tickets obtained at the door. The festival is free, and open to the public. Arrive early for best seating, and admission.

 

The six plays are performed in groups of two throughout the week. Each group is on stage twice during the run and varies in length and subject matter.

 

World Without Memory by Seth Kramer, directed by Angie Bertolio, and Degas C’est Moi by David Ives, directed by Amanda Beatty, make up the pair of festival openers on Monday, March 21 and again on Thursday, March 24.

 

Set number two includes No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre, directed by Melissa Thoreson, and No One Will Be Immune by David Mamet, directed by Nick Hutchinson, with performances Tuesday, March 22, and Friday, March 25.

 

Play pair three includes The Guys by Anne Nelson, directed by Jed Broberg, and Last Tuesday by Donal Margulies, directed by Richie Call. This pairing is on stage Wednesday, March 23, and Saturday, March 26.

 

Director Melissa Thoreson said No Exit explores the idea that “our worst nightmare is hell.” The play explores the idea that hell isn’t full of red-hot pokers, but that hell is other people, she said.

 

“I chose this play because of this idea that hell is other people, and there is nothing you can do about it. You can make or break whatever situation you are in, except here.”

 

Normally seen onstage, Thoreson is taking her work behind-the-scenes and turning it into a full experience.

 

“This project has shown me what I need to do as an actor to be prepared for the days of rehearsal,” Thoreson said. “It has shown me how flexible I need to be as a person in the arts. Directing is a new challenge. I don’t think there is anything more terrifying than not knowing how to make the point to the audience and then, somehow, being able to do it. It has been an overwhelming experience that cannot be put into words.”

 

Angie Bertolio, director of World Without Memory, relates a similar experience with the art of directing.

 

“This experience is always an important part of my development as an actor,” Bertolio said. “Not only does it allow me to choose projects that force me to grow as a director, it also allows me to develop another view that makes me more aware of what is happening on stage, and how to make it better.”

 

Bertolio’s inspiration for choosing her piece is personal.

 

A World Without Memory is about a man’s journey through the stages of Alzheimer’s Disease and how he and his family deal with the changes.

 

“I chose this play because I had a grandfather who died with Alzheimer’s,” said Bertolio. “The play spoke to me.”

 

Richie Call’s choice of play broaches 9/11 and subject matter that is still poignant today. Last Tuesday, according to the director, asks four questions about the unforgettable day — where were you on September 11, 2001, who were you with, what were you doing, and what were you doing four days later?

 

Jed Broberg is also directing a play in regards to 9/11. His choice is The Guys by Anne Nelson.

 

The Guys is about a fire captain who lost eight men in the 9/11 tragedy, Broberg said. He must now write eulogies for his men, but has no direction until Joan (who is still trying to find a way to help in the midst of the event) intervenes to help.

 

“I read The Guys and felt that it was a play that captured the humanity of 9/11,” Broberg said. “People will truly be able to experience the play, the actual meat of what makes theatre touch humanity.”

 

Dega C’est Moi, by David Ives is directed by Amanda Beatty, who siphoned through many plays before settling on this one.

 

“I think we’re all looking for purpose in our lives, and David Ives addresses that in this play,” said Beatty. Dega C’est Moi is about a man who wakes up one morning and decides to be the French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas in an attempt to live a happier life, she said. Of course, the world doesn’t change for him, and he realizes his own life of contentment.

 

“I speak like an actor, so it has been difficult to express what I want from the cast, but we have been able to work through it,” said the director. “I have worked hard on this, and I hope the audience enjoys it as much as I do.”

 

Nick Hutchinson takes a turn directing the David Mamet play No One Will Be Immune.

 

“I wanted something that is going to stretch me as a director,” Hutchinson said. “I have previously seen the play and think that Mamet will force me to reach further than I have gone before. Just make sure and come ready to think. It is not an easy play for a director, a cast member or an audience. It will make you work to get it.”

 

The play deals with a confusing situation between two friends as one tries to explain to the other the reasons for stopping a flight, the director said.

 

Seating for Festival of One-Acts is not reserved and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For general inquiries about “A Festival of One-Acts,” call (435) 797-1500 or email gordonj@hass.usu.edu. Details are also on the Utah State Theatre Web site. 

 

Children under the age of 6 are not admitted into the theatre.