Women's experiences: theme of student plays
Natalie A. Cole
The only way to test your knowledge of what you have learned is to put that knowledge into action. The classroom can only do so much, and that is what the last CSUN theater production of the semester demonstrated. Professionals and professors have directed past plays but now it was up to the students of the CSUN theater department. They put on an interesting series called "Student-Directed One Acts: A Century of Women's Voices," the last production for the semester.
Students directed five plays, all of which were written by women.
The plays included "2000 Miles" by Diana Son, which was directed by Amy Oliveria. "2000 Miles" is a play about what it means to be a woman. It consists of two characters, Ellen (Julie Brett) and Janie (Katherine de la Rosa.) The play was about two small-town friends whose relationships and personality were not destined for their location.
"It was a lot of fun and interesting working with Amy, who was discovering the play along with me," said De la Rosa, 22. "It was a lot more casual working with a peer of mine. There was less pressure but it definitely felt like a collaborative effort."
The second play was "Drowning," written by Maria Irene Fornes and directed by Oliveria. The story was about a group of outcasts who were isolated from the rest of society and lived very poorly. The outcasts connected with society through newspapers. It is about an innocent young girl named Pea (Lindsay Sacks) who experiences the feeling of falling in love along with Roe (Nicole Gerth) and Stephen (Wunna Myothein).
"Working with Amy, Lindsay and Wunna was a great experience," said Gerth, 22. "They are so in love with their work and their craft. With the student director, we are all collaboratively learning. It's more beneficial because it's an academic learning environment."
The third play was "Personal Effects," which was written by Griselda Gambaro, translated by Roberto Pomo and directed by Theresa Robbins Dudeck. The play is about a lonely musician who is waiting for a train (Steve Kaplan).
The fourth play was "Rising of the Moon." Written by Lady Gregory and directed by Heather Ramey, the play is the story of a sergeant who befriends a wanted criminal (John-Pierre Atallah) that he and his officers (Jerry Chappell and Jeffrey Holmes) are searching for. Through the unlikely friendship, the sergeant learns about himself and comes to see the criminal as a man.
The last play in this series was "Screens," which was written by Dolores Prida and directed by Jennifer Dithridge. The play is about Mauricio (Tony Espinoza), Elena (Alexandria Ayala) and Roberto (Amador Plascencia), three soap opera stars staying at a beach cottage. The three stars are trapped in the beach cottage because there is a nuclear war occurring outside. It tackles temptation and a never-ending chase of stardom, evident even in spite of death.
"To me, (Dithridge) was like any other director because she was very specific in what she wanted," said Ayala, 22. "The experience was very inviting. I wouldn't label her a student director because she acted just as professional as any other director."
"Student Directed One-Acts: A Century of Women's Voices" was performed in the CSUN Studio Theatre. It was the last production of the Spring 2007 semester.
Natalie A. Cole, Author