The Studio Theater at the Moorpark College Performing Arts Center was packed with audience members trying to figure out “What’s the Point?”

“What’s the Point?” was a show produced by Theater Professor Katherine Lewis that ran from Feb. 25 through the 28 at 7:30 p.m. The presentation had original faculty and student plays, poetry, music, and dance. Each work had a random theme that provoked audience members to ask, “What’s the point?”

An audience favorite was a play written by Bonnyjean Hoffert, 20, major undecided, called “Girl on the Rocks” starring Tiel Kinsner, 24, Major undecided, and Shea Taylor. Hoffert’s play explored the aspects of homosexuality, but the way the scene was scripted, it drew the audience in to a girl’s plight before realizing she was a closeted homosexual.

Kinsner loved the script when she first read it and fell in love with the character “Girl.”
“I represent the masses of women who cannot peruse their hearts desire for fear of persecution from not only their family, but the outside world as well, ” explained Kinsner.

Another work that intrigued the audience was not artistic, but scientific. Exotic Animal Training and Management student Samantha Levitt’s presentation, entitled “Conservation vs. Extermination” explained ways that scientist are taking animals that the world considers pests and training them to help humans. She demonstrated the idea by making her rat, Shakespeare, perform household duties that could aid the physically disadvantages like turn on a light or pull an object down.

Although Levitt’s explanation was technical, it seemed to fit right into “What’s the Point?”
“When you can combine science and art it creates a medium that all sides can understand,” explained Levitt. “So when you put an analytical science feature in an art show like ‘What’s the Point?’ you combine the two worlds.”

Professor Sandra Hunter, poet and coordinator of the monthly poetry readings, was honored to have her poem, “breasts,” and those of her student poets from the readings, acted out by student actors.

“It’s very exciting for a poet to see their work performed,” explained Hunter. “There’s a tremendous sense of community pride because the student actors are writing the works and the student actors are taking the works and making it 3-dimentional.”

The next poetry reading is March 18 in the Library.

The most unusual performance came from Dance Professor Beth Megill. She was the only dancer at “What’s the Point?” and showed the audience that word of mouth was not the only mode of communication.

“Somebody asked me ‘well are you acting or are you dancing?’ And I said, ‘aren’t they the same thing?'” said Megill. “What’s meaningful to me is really expression and communication in movement and expressing to communicate.”

Lewis was thrilled with the success of “What’s the Point?” and the fact that the audience understood the show was a celebration of life.

“Life itself is worth living with all its hardships, ” explained Lewis. “That death is the thing we most fear. The scariest thing about being alive is the prospect of death, but that’s part of it. It’s all a cycle and there’s something inherently valuable about being alive.”