JACKSON, Tenn. — Dec. 2, 2004 — University Players and Alpha Psi Omega of 51社区 will present their annual student-directed one-act plays Dec. 9-12.
Produced as a final project for students in the directing class, this year鈥檚 shows are divided into two two-night runs. Each show lasts 15-30 minutes with a brief break between the first two shows to allow for set changes and an intermission between the second and third shows.
On Thursday and Friday night, Tennessee Williams鈥� 鈥淭he Case of the Crushed Petunias鈥� will open the night. Directed by Danielle Thrower, the show centers around Dorothy Simple and how a stranger enters her life and transforms it with the crushing of her petunias.
Also included in the evening鈥檚 performances are 鈥淎ll Cotton鈥� written by Shel Silverstein and directed by Emily Brown about what happens when an aggravated customer tries to return a shrinking blouse to a reluctant employee, and 鈥淚mpromptu鈥� written by Tad Mosel and directed by Alaina Kraus. Four actors are hired to play 鈥渓ife鈥� on stage, not just a reproduction of it. Can the actors step out of their characters long enough to be themselves?
The Saturday night and Sunday matinee shows feature 鈥淛udgment Call,鈥� written by Tom Stoppard and directed by Allie Campbell in which three umpires discuss the meaning of life -- is it all about the game or is there more to it than that? It will be followed by two David Ives pieces, 鈥淰ariation on the Death of Trotsky鈥� and 鈥淒egas, C鈥檈st Moi.鈥�
In 鈥淰ariation on the Death of Trotsky,鈥� directed by Sarah Orr, Trotsky dies seven times, seven different ways, but who is responsible? His wife? Ramon, the gardener? 鈥淒egas C鈥檈st Moi,鈥� directed by Jeremy Parker, is a play is about a man who wakes up and decides to be Edgar Degas, the famous dead French painter of ballerinas and jockeys. Seeing that others don鈥檛 really care who he is at all, he finds this internal transformation unfulfilling and meaningless. He finds purpose and value in what he already has -- his wife Doris.
All shows will be at 8 p.m. in W. D. Powell Theatre except for the Sunday matinee, which will be at 2:30 p.m. Admission is $1 with a food donation or $2 without. For more information call (731) 661-5015.