Theatergoers seeking stimulating, provocative, innovative, and witty entertainment need look no further than Moorpark College’s “Original Student One-Act Plays.”
Beginning April 25 in the Performing Arts Center, students will be presenting their very own one-act plays and monologues.
All performances are written, performed, directed, designed, choreographed, and costumed solely by students.
Theater Professor Katherine Lewis created the One-Act Program in 1977 and currently presides over mentoring students and producing their plays.
“This semester, we have an especially interesting assortment of ‘Original Student One-Acts,'” Lewis says. “The plays and monologues either comment perceptively on current social and political issues, make us laugh, or do both.”
Performances are divided into two bills, A and B. Each bill features a completely distinct program.
Bill A opens with “Nerdgasm,” a short sketch written and performed by Jared Lenway and Sabrina Sykora. It is about finding love in a geek-chic world where the nerd has become the dominant species.
“Alex,” a stand-up comedy routine by Alex Taber, will follow.
“Vegasmistake” is next. Written and directed by Taber and Corin Galbadon, this one-act play reveals if Sin City is the perfect setting for the main character to finally tell his parents he is gay.
Jeremy Fay then takes audiences on an emotional journey with his self-written, self-performed monologue, “Life at the Low End,” which deals with the death of his brother.
Andy Shultz subsequently entertains by performing, “Random Thoughts of a Scattered Brain,” his self-written monologue about mixed religions. Shultz, being half-Catholic and half-Jewish, says he has always considered himself a “cashew.”
Bill A ends with the one-act play, “Banking on the American Dream.” Directed by Shultz and written by Austin Jackson, the play is based on Tad Lumpkin’s cartoon “The American Dream.” It uses a comedic style to describe a typically humorless topic – the downfall of the economy.
Bill B features three original one-act plays, beginning with “An Innocent Man.”
Written by Sam Velez and directed by Mary Jones, “An Innocent Man” is based on the true story of Captain Jeffrey MacDonald, a military doctor charged with killing his family. “I wanted to do a spin-off,” Velez says. “Something different, showing he was wrongfully accused.”
“A Disintegrating Mind” comes next. Written and directed by Grace Liner, this one-act play centers on a psychophrenic adolescent dealing with a schoolgirl crush. She turns to the voices in her head for guidance and support; however, each voice reflects a different, often dark aspect of her personality.
Bill B concludes with “Intergalactic Conflict: The Rock Opera, Episode 4.5 Brothers in Arms,” produced with the permission of Lucasfilm, Ltd. Chris Campbell wrote and directed this one-act play with Pierre-Alexander Smith as his musical director and composer. “We have a ‘bro-mance,'” Campbell says, “which is why the show itself is about Han and Chewy.” The play is a lighthearted adventure through the “Star Wars” epic with an ensemble cast creating pure fun.
All performances will be in the Moorpark College Performing Arts Building Studio Theatre. They contain adult language and themes and are intended for mature audiences. Bill A runs on April 27 and May 2, 3, and 5 at 7:30 p.m. Bill B runs on April 25, 26, and 28 and May 4 also at 7:30 p.m. Free matinees with limited seating show at 1:30 p.m. on April 25 for Bill A and May 2 for Bill B.
Each bill spans two hours and 15 minutes, including intermission.
Tickets are $10 at the door or $8 if purchased in advance at http://www.moorparkcollege.edu/PAC. Call the Box Office at 805-378-1485 for more information.
