The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Performing and Visual Arts and Pioneer Players will conclude their theatre season with the annual One Act Festival: An Evening of Short Plays. The production opens on Thursday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. and continues with evening performances on Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m. All performances will be held in the Center for the Arts-Theatre at UW-Platteville.
Ann Farrelly, associate professor of theatre at UW-Platteville who teaches the upper-level directing course, said that putting the theories and techniques the students are learning in the classroom into practice is a vital component of the theatre major and minor at UW-Platteville. This year’s directors are all directing for the second time and participating in an advanced directing independent study.
“This year’s directing students have been here before,” said Farrelly. “Getting a second opportunity to experience directing is exciting, and because they have experience, we made it a little more challenging by requiring them to direct for a thrust stage configuration. We also supplied the directors not only with lighting designers, but also this year, we have student costume designers joining the production teams.”
The lighting designers, all of whom have done several lighting designs in the past, are supervised by Jeffrey Strange, associate professor of theatre at UW-Platteville. The costume designers are under the supervision of Sarah Strange, senior lecturer and resident costume designer.
“Bringing the students together helps to reinforce the importance and necessity of collaboration in theatre,” said Jeffrey Strange.
This year’s One Act Festival showcases the work of five directors (four graduating seniors and one alumna), four student lighting designers, five student costume designers and 19 student actors.
The directors in this year’s class are Alex Behne, Ian Duff, Sam Klaas, Sarah McCraw and Abbie Wagner. Lighting designers include Klaas and Wagner, as well as Jordan Blood, Jeffrey Strange and Zach Van Camp. The costume designers include Duff, Morgaine Schroeder, Blair Schuler, Beth Wallace and Meghan Weber. The cast features Megan Behrens, Beth Wallace, Charles Roltgen, Jon Hutson, Kiley Schulz, Jason Hackbarth, Corbin Schroeder, Blair Schuler, Lili Pierce, Dillon Nemitz, Andrew Arevalo, Madison Harbour, Hannah Grimm, Gerald Ehr, Parker Thomson, Doralyn Williams, Ryan Krueger, Briley Fenner and Claudia Enz. Graduating senior Taylor Tieman will serve as the production stage manager.
“As always, the One Act Festival has something for everyone,” said Farrelly.
Because of the content in some of the plays, the production is recommended for mature audiences only. Tickets are available at the University Box Office, located on the ground floor of Ullsvik Hall. Tickets may also be purchased over the phone at 608-342-1298 or online at tickets.uwplatt.edu. Ticket prices are $14 for adults, $12 for faculty and staff and seniors and $7 for current students with a valid ID or anyone under 18. (The ticket prices above include a $2 box office fee).