Event: The Original 1 Acts
Content: Two completely different evenings, each featuring original plays written, acted directed and designed by Moorpark College students Presented by: Moorpark College Theatre ArtsWhere: PAC Studio Theatre (PA 100)
When: Evening A--April 16 at 1:30 & April 17, April 19, April 23, & April 25 at 7:30
Evening B—April 23 at 1:30, & April 16, 18, April 24 & 26 at 7:30
Performance Length: Evening A & B each run 2 to 2 ½ hours, including intermission
Ticket Prices: $8. For one Evening. $6. Matinee.
$12. For both Evenings, if tickets are purchased at the same time.
Because of the language and subject matter of some of the plays, we do not recommend The Original 1 Acts for children.
Contact Person: Dr. Katherine Lewis, Prof. Theatre Arts,
Moorpark College (805) 378-1568
The wonderful thing about one act plays is that they are short; they’re concise. Instead of spending a lot of time with one story, one point of view—the audience gets to experience a number of different stories and view points in one evening. Evening A opens with “Bris-ket”, a comedy written by Jeremy Ridnor and directed by Jeremy and Lauren Landau, that observes the trauma associated with bringing your fiance’ to meet the family on the night of your nephew’s bris. As if an ordinary night wouldn’t be bad enough. “Disco Before the Breakdown”, written and directed by Chadd Gabaldon and Kasey Clark, tells a tragic love story told from a new perspective. The third play, “Un Rezo Pequeno Para Carina” written and directed by Lourdes Solorzano explores the raw, unprotected world of illegal immigrants who come to the United States for a better life and find that such hopes have unexpected costs. “Snowy Tuesday” written and directed by Charles Burke examines inter-racial dating from a Black perspective. The final play of Evening A —“Down the Road”, written and directed by Jeremy Fay, reveals how a chance meeting with the right woman can change a guy’s life. Meanwhile, in between the live comedy and drama we are entertained by a film written and directed by Joseph Agredano—“The Rehearsal in Three Parts” which concerns a rather unconventional, rather absurd rehearsal process.
Evening B starts with a campy comedy—“Camp Granada”, written by Melissa Pinza and directed by Melissa and Robert Fox. The play is based on the famous song by Alan Sherman with the same title, and tells what really happened at camp. “Driving Me Crazy”, written by David Harris and directed by David and Brandon Lacroix, is also a comedy. Most of the action of the play takes place in a car, as four friends attempt to drive to a Sci Fi convention in Pasadena. Where the hell is Pasadena anyway? “The Game”, written by Bonnyjean Hoffert and directed by Bonnyjean and Adam Poisol is about “the ever popular battle between men and women, that whole power struggle--a war that has been raging since the dawn of man!” “Lonely at the Top” written and directed by Andy Shultz concludes Evening B. Andy describes his play as “a mockery of 1940’s murder mystery/crime drama with a hint of Jewish musical comedy.”
Short interview with Dr. Katherine Lewis, Producer/Facilitator of “The Original 1 Acts”:
Q.: Why would someone want to come to The Original 1 Acts?
A.: The material varies greatly from the light and funny to the emotionally moving and thought provoking. A program of short, 1 act plays is appealing to an audience, because if you don’t like a play, it’s soon over, and you probably will enjoy the next one. The evening’s entertainment is so varied there is something for everyone. Unfortunately, because of the heavier pieces, we cannot recommend the 1 Acts for children.
Q.: You’ve mentioned that you’re always impressed with the creativity of the student writers.
A.: I am impressed with the talent and creativity of all of my students—actors, directors and designers, as well as writers, but it is a rare experience to see the plays of young writers produced. It is more common to see young actors and directors presenting the work of older, established writers. It is wonderful to be able to go to the theater and see the writing of young artists. I am interested in what my students have to say. Plays aren’t just entertainment—they’re coded messages. An artist’s entire life experience can be summarized, condensed and encoded in symbols which then take on a life of their own. There’s a message there—something important being said, from one human to another. I would think that the peers of these artists—other college students—would find it especially gratifying to go to the theater and hear the voices of their own generation. |
