Ten Minute shows presented by TSA
The Theater Student Association at Utah State University will be presenting six ten-minute plays Saturday night in the Black Box Theater in the Fine Arts building.
“In addition to the main stage shows that we have going on each semester, we have student produced projects, some of which are the one-acts that are under faculty supervision; but in addition to that we have TSA independent projects and TSA fund-raisers,” TSA president Richie Call said.
The six ten-minute shows are works written by playwrights from around the country and, despite their title, range in performance time from 12 to 20 minutes.
“Ten-minute show is kind of a misleading name. In theater there are full-length plays, one act plays, and anything that’s less than half an hour is considered a ten minute show,” Call said. “We tried to stick closer to actual ten-minute shows this year. The whole performance should be about an hour and a half.
Directed and performed by students from across campus, the night will involve 25 different people, many of whom don’t have other opportunities to perform.
“Normally we know them as the costume girl or the light guy and they get to come here and perform,” Call said adding, “it’s a good opportunity for someone like me who has ambitions to be a director but only gets to direct one show, one time in the department.
Originally there was only one performance scheduled at 7:30 p.m., but after the success of the TSA independent production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical ‘Into the Woods,’ performed earlier this week, another performance was added at 5:00 p.m.
“Frankly, I hope we’re turning people away,” Call said. “I hate to say that. I don’t want people to be disappointed that they can’t get in, but we always hope that we fill the houses. I think the quality of the performance on Saturday night deserves as many audience members as ‘Into the Woods’ got.”
Admission is on a first come first serve basis.
Call said that because the theater only has 99 seats, people wishing to attend should arrive at least 15-20 minutes early.
“This is a new trend,” Call said, “independent shows are kind of developing, [and] we need to realize that these shows are more popular.
More information about the ten minute plays and TSA can be found by visiting the theater department web site at www.usu.edu/theatre.
-mattgo@cc.usu.edu