1-Act Play Festival
Two weeks remain before Jamie Johnson dons a tasseled cap and obtains her theatre degree, and her work has become a “hot mess of emotions and ideas” — just the way, she said, it should be.
On her way out, Johnson is directing one of the 1-act plays to be presented in the University of Idaho Department of Theatre Arts’ 1-Act Play Festival.
Johnson’s play, Chicken Soup of the Townie Soul by Master of Fine Arts student Quinn Hatch, follows two men stuck at a dead-end point of their lives. Although rehearsals have been going well, Johnson said she feels she is constantly being tested — and it’s a good thing.
“Your work is supposed to frustrate and inspire you, drain and invigorate you,” she said.
Ten plays will be presented May 9-11. Performances start at 6:30 p.m. in the Kiva Theater across from the UI Swim Center on the UI campus. General admission is $5 and tickets are free for UI students.
The festival is similar to the department’s 10-Minute Play Festival held in December. But this festival calls for more time per performance, which Master of Fine Arts student Charles Monte said gives more room to cement the story.
“The plot and character development are more refined, the sub-text is expanded, and the story has a more noticeable arc,” he said.
Monte said he chose the play, Something Else by UI alumna Mattie Rydalch, because of the interesting way it dealt with an odd topic.
Something Else tells the story of a high school science teacher who meets the woman who could be the love of his life. Unfortunately, he can’t start a relationship until he can let go of his deceased mother, whose memory still haunts his house.
Three plays will be presented each night. Junior theatre student Nick Giacalone has been balancing his hour-long show and four actors in Tetras by UI alumnus Adam Harrell.
Giacalone said the play struck him at a primal level, as it is a story of abandonment. The two main characters of the story lose their mother and embark on a journey to reconcile with her and rediscover the love they share for their family.
“That spoke to me because even though I’ve never lost anyone as close as my mother, I have lost family members,” he said. “ And ... through all this, the boys find the humor in it all. Even though the play has dramatic undertone to it, the show is hysterically funny.”
Featured plays include:
May 9
I Scream, You Scream by Mattie Rydalch
Directed by Lojo Simon
Starring: Cory Williamson
Gabi Garcia
Phoenix Tage
Boat Builder by Damian Ernest
Directed by Ray Pritchard
Starring: Carlin Mitchell
Emily Rose Schacher
One Foot by Lojo Simon
Directed by Travis Gray
Starring: Sean Parker
Lindsay Teter
May 10
Chicken Soup of the Townie Soul by Quinn Hatch
Directed by Jamie Johnson
Starring: Josh Allen
Tyler Elwell
Something Else by Mattie Rydalch
Directed by Charlie Monte
Starring: Sean Altuna
Laura Wickman
Jennifer Jansen
Crescent by Megan Thornton
Directed by Rick Glen
Starring: Gus Rose-Witt
Tiffany Flory
Cory Williamson
May 11
En Hommage by Mattie Rydalch
Directed by Jeremy Thompson
Starring: Quinn Hatch
Cody Butler
Kathleen Parker
Shane Brown
Blaine Fonnesbeck
Kristin Glaeser
Kayla Cole
Tetras by Adam Harrell
Directed by Nick Giacalone
Starring: Phoenix Tage
Paddy Mulligan
Hillary Mosman
Dave Harlan
Prince of Wales by Amy Hollon
Directed by John Tembreull
Starring: Tommy Lukrich
Michael Smith
On her way out, Johnson is directing one of the 1-act plays to be presented in the University of Idaho Department of Theatre Arts’ 1-Act Play Festival.
Johnson’s play, Chicken Soup of the Townie Soul by Master of Fine Arts student Quinn Hatch, follows two men stuck at a dead-end point of their lives. Although rehearsals have been going well, Johnson said she feels she is constantly being tested — and it’s a good thing.
“Your work is supposed to frustrate and inspire you, drain and invigorate you,” she said.
Ten plays will be presented May 9-11. Performances start at 6:30 p.m. in the Kiva Theater across from the UI Swim Center on the UI campus. General admission is $5 and tickets are free for UI students.
The festival is similar to the department’s 10-Minute Play Festival held in December. But this festival calls for more time per performance, which Master of Fine Arts student Charles Monte said gives more room to cement the story.
“The plot and character development are more refined, the sub-text is expanded, and the story has a more noticeable arc,” he said.
Monte said he chose the play, Something Else by UI alumna Mattie Rydalch, because of the interesting way it dealt with an odd topic.
Something Else tells the story of a high school science teacher who meets the woman who could be the love of his life. Unfortunately, he can’t start a relationship until he can let go of his deceased mother, whose memory still haunts his house.
Three plays will be presented each night. Junior theatre student Nick Giacalone has been balancing his hour-long show and four actors in Tetras by UI alumnus Adam Harrell.
Giacalone said the play struck him at a primal level, as it is a story of abandonment. The two main characters of the story lose their mother and embark on a journey to reconcile with her and rediscover the love they share for their family.
“That spoke to me because even though I’ve never lost anyone as close as my mother, I have lost family members,” he said. “ And ... through all this, the boys find the humor in it all. Even though the play has dramatic undertone to it, the show is hysterically funny.”
Featured plays include:
May 9
I Scream, You Scream by Mattie Rydalch
Directed by Lojo Simon
Starring: Cory Williamson
Gabi Garcia
Phoenix Tage
Boat Builder by Damian Ernest
Directed by Ray Pritchard
Starring: Carlin Mitchell
Emily Rose Schacher
One Foot by Lojo Simon
Directed by Travis Gray
Starring: Sean Parker
Lindsay Teter
May 10
Chicken Soup of the Townie Soul by Quinn Hatch
Directed by Jamie Johnson
Starring: Josh Allen
Tyler Elwell
Something Else by Mattie Rydalch
Directed by Charlie Monte
Starring: Sean Altuna
Laura Wickman
Jennifer Jansen
Crescent by Megan Thornton
Directed by Rick Glen
Starring: Gus Rose-Witt
Tiffany Flory
Cory Williamson
May 11
En Hommage by Mattie Rydalch
Directed by Jeremy Thompson
Starring: Quinn Hatch
Cody Butler
Kathleen Parker
Shane Brown
Blaine Fonnesbeck
Kristin Glaeser
Kayla Cole
Tetras by Adam Harrell
Directed by Nick Giacalone
Starring: Phoenix Tage
Paddy Mulligan
Hillary Mosman
Dave Harlan
Prince of Wales by Amy Hollon
Directed by John Tembreull
Starring: Tommy Lukrich
Michael Smith