Utah State Theatre Presents the New Plays Festival

The Utah State University Theatre Arts Department, in conjunction with the advanced playwriting class, presents “The New Plays Festival” to cap the academic year.

The production’s run is April 24-26 in the Studio Theatre (FA224) in the Chase Fine Arts Center on the USU campus (approximately 1110 E. 610 North) and starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are free for Utah State students with a student ID, non student tickets are $2.

 

The evening consists of a variety of different genres written by students.

 

“Some of the plays being produced are farcical in nature, providing a ‘Saturday Night Live’ kind of quality to the overall evening,” said playwright and actor Brandon Pearson. “Other plays deal with controversial social and moral issues. All in all, the evening will be a montage of genres and ideas.”

 

Playwright/actor Ben Garvis offered his assessment.

 

“Expect controversial material, laughs and just good times,” he said. “Advanced playwriting class has given us an opportunity to create work that is completely our own. We start with a blank piece of paper and end with our words being acted out on stage in front of an audience. It’s a rare opportunity that we are given as students and we want everyone to experience it with us.”

 

“It allows students to use theatre to ask critical questions about the world in which we live,” fellow director/actor Luke Bybee said.

 

For example, Two, written by Dan Merket, deals with the issue of second chances. The story revolves around two coaches and a lawyer dealing with the recruitment of a new student baseball player — a new player who is a convicted felon for the crime of rape. Through this lense, the play asks the questions of who deserves a second chance and what stigmas in society could prevent those chances.

 

Toasters, written by Jon Bellinston, is a comedy about addictions … such as sex, drugs, alcohol and the need to steal toasters.

 

Please note, some of the plays contain adult language, themes and situations.

 

For tickets call, (435) 797-8022.

 

“Patrons will laugh, cry, cringe, grin and generally have a diverse experience,” Bybee concluded.

 

 

Caine School of the Arts 
College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

 

Contact: Jeremy Gordon (435) 797-1500
Source: Theatre arts department