Independent student plays depict life’s struggles
They had been divorced since lunch and by 6 p.m. she was on a date with another man.
That is the story line of “Divergence,” one of six independent plays being produced and performed by Utah State University theater students.
T.J. Larsen, a junior studying theater, is the coordinator for the plays. He said the plays are a kind of independent student workshop.
“It’s designed to further the realm of theater arts,” he said.
This is the third season students have gotten together to perform the workshop series. In the past, the students performed work created by professionals, but professor Kevin Doyle started a program under the Marie Ellen Eccles Caine Foundation that gave the students funding to produce their own work this year, Larsen said.
“We want to bring a fresh perspective of contemporary theater to the public,” he said.
Much of theater presented today is aimed toward an older crowd, Larsen said. The USU theater students produced plays intended to attract a younger audience. The plays concentrate on issues that plague the youth.
For example, “Only Okay,” written by Jessie Drollette and directed by John Nicholas Nielson, is a play about pregnancy outside marriage. “Sounds of Night,” written by Larsen and directed by Kyle Scanlon, deal with the despair that leads to suicide.
While the most important thing is serving their audience, the students have the opportunity to build their careers through these plays, Larsen said.
D’Artangnon Wells, a junior studying both theater and public relations, is the director for “Divergence.” He said he has learned communicating his goal for the play is the most important objective.
The students have been working on their plays for about a month. The most difficult task was finding appropriate actors, Wells said. Three or four people act in each play and 20 people auditioned altogether.
Wells said the most rewarding part about directing an independent play is using original work created by someone he knows.
Jillena Shaver, a freshman studying theater, said the plays are fun for the audience because they are only about 10 minutes each.
The plays also cover a wide range of themes. “Hank” is a political and religious satire written by Rich Timothy and directed by Larsen. “Chili” is a comedy written by Frank Shaw and directed by Ryan Pence.
Larsen said “People,” written by Nielson and directed by Drollette, is an “artsy” and “out there” reflection on people.
The plays will show Friday at 10:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Chase Fine Arts Center, Room 224. Tickets are $1 with student ID and $2 without.
“If people will give us a chance I’m sure they’ll enjoy themselves,” Larsen said.