Student directors shine in the Evergreen Players' One Acts

Start with some weird, adulterous escapades. Stir in some seemingly innocent bystanders and a kidnapped writer. Sprinkle in an eerily realistic "painting" of a Loyola College actress and a heartwarming poem. Finally, pour in enough alcohol to make a small country float. With these enjoyable, if somewhat off-track, elements at their foundation, the first round of the student-directed one-act plays wrapped up last weekend.

This year, amid the chilling spring weather, Loyola's Directing II class chose five one-act plays to present to the college community as a part of the Evergreen Players. The plays are entirely student run, from the directing to the set work.

Nicole Iovino, President of the Evergreen Players commented, "[The one-act plays are] really fun, because [they're] student directed. So, it's all student work put into it, it's something that we've all been working on since we were freshman here. Like, learning [about] different parts of the theater, and how to direct, you know, you take directing classes. It's a really great opportunity for the five directors to actually direct their own shows. Four of them are seniors, so the majority of them were involved in the one-acts when they were freshman. It was our freshman year and our senior year, so I don't know if they have a set plan of how often they'll do it. But it's a lot of fun for everyone involved who was involved in the one acts their freshman year. That is my biggest joy I get out of it, that it's all student directed, and everything is by the students, and they've all worked so hard. So it's a really cool thing."

This past weekend, the first two plays of the series, Woody Allen's, "Old Saybrook" and, "A Nervous Smile" by John Belluso took the stage. "Old Saybrook," directed by senior Matt Anderson, centered on a story that brought elements of the soap opera to mind. With a cast consisting of three couples and a single writer, the story seemed to highlight the absurdity of some human relationships. Two couples are living in a house together when a third couple visits; they had lived in the house previously. At first, everything seems normal except for the more-than-jovial friendliness that one of the house residing couples, Norman and Sheila (played by Paul Zajac and Katherine Egan) display towards the visitors (played by Colin Reilly and Katie Cowan). Soon, though, a secret notebook filled with the details of the affair between Norman and Jenny, Sheila's sister, is discovered, resulting in an over-the-top fest of anger and accusatory remarks.

"Old Saybrook" was brought to glory with some key lines in the play.

When informed that his wife has been having an affair with his brother-in-law, golf enthusiast David cries, "I'm missing the U.S Open!" Without missing a beat, Sheila responds with equal fervor, "Your wife is the U.S Open!" Each actor played a role entirely different from each of the others, resulting in a highly energetic comedy with easily distinguishable characters. For example, Kyle Sanphy, who played David, expertly embodied the oblivious golf enthusiast, complete with air headed remarks and looks. Egan scarily portrayed the jealous wife, jabbing around a fire poker like a wand.

When asked why he chose this play to direct, senior Matt Anderson said, "Why did I choose the show? For some reason, it was more than funny. It was something that, it spoke to me, I guess. To human interaction, I guess, and relationships, and people, and how crazy people are. Kind of the difference between people being real, people being fake, real people being fake, fake people being real. It was all good stuff, and it took me forever to figure it out, and I think I have an idea now."

On the other end of the spectrum, the next play up, "A Nervous Smile," dealt with darker themes. The adultery of the previous play carried over, but this time it was more accepted. The play centers on a couple, Eileen and Brian (Janine Harouni and Ryan Kamp) who, like their friend Nic (Brittany Wallace) have a child afflicted with cerebral palsy. Eileen is a disturbed, but rich, pill-addicted woman who seems to go out of her way to make others feel uncomfortable. Nic and Brian are having an affair, much to Eileen's agreement. Together, the three people decide to abandon their responsibilities and run away to experience a better life, away from their draining children. In the journey, they are challenged both morally and emotionally.

Director Josh Ferri, '08, says in the program, "When others read the script, they asked what sick motive possessed me to choose a show about despicable people performing unspeakable acts. I would tell these skeptics that not only will you like these characters, by the end, you will empathize with them. For me, A Nervous Smile is a play about love: romantic love, parents' love, the love for one's self, and what happens when that fades. The central question that propels the action of the play is who are you expected to love more: your child or yourself?"

This weekend, the last three plays will wrap up the one-acts. Directors Alec Lawson and Kendra Richard will present their directorial debuts to the college, while Tom Saporito will follow up his Loyola College Spotlight Players "Dead Man Walking" experience with his one-act. Next year, Lawson will take the torch from Saporito and direct his own Spotlight Theatre production. The play is yet to be announed.

Overall, last weekend's plays showed the dedication and passion that these young directors and actors have for the art of theater, both with the play choice and the work put into the process. Hopefully, it will not be too much longer until another round of student-produced shows come to campus. Loyola has had a wide variety of shows presented on McManus's stage over the years, and hopefully this trend will continue with one-act plays and student directed endevours.