Student writers and directors will showcase their original plays at the Black Box Theatre on Nov. 29, at 6:30 p.m.
The Student One Acts are performances, usually 15-25 minutes long, that have been directed and written by Moorpark College students.
“It’s a chance for students to display their work and take a moment to appreciate the time and effort it took to create their own work that they did themselves and creates a hands-on experience that students need to have in college,” said Hovig Chobanian, 25, Environmental Science major.
Chobanian has been a part of Student One Acts for the last year, and even directed his own show two semesters ago.
“My advice I would give first-year students that are joining the Student One Acts are take this process seriously, but also have fun as well,” said Chobanian. “Develop friendships and organize your time management.”
The Student One Acts were introduced to Moorpark College several years ago by a professor in the Theatre Arts department, Kathy Lewis, as a unique opportunity for students to write, produce and perform in their own plays.
“Kathy had a real big influence in the development of the theatre department, and not a lot of colleges allow students to produce and perform their own plays,” said Theatre Professor Suzanne Fagan.
“I pondered the problem that Kathy pondered years ago, why community colleges did not offer students the possibility of producing and performing in their own plays. The whole theatre department has carried [the] torch ever since.”
When Fagan accepts the applicants for the Student One Acts, they must join the One Acts course in Production (M10).
Fagan’s role in these productions is as a facilitator. This is the second Student One-Acts she has organized.
“I oversee and help problem solve. This is a soft skill that is dying,”she said. “I explain that by saying there are bumps in the road. I tell my students, ‘succeed big, fail big,’ and [Moorpark College] is the place to do it, they learn to compromise.”
Student One Acts are more than just a performance and display. According to Cristian Sarabia, Theatre Arts and Business major, 22, who had directed his show called “Heat Death” and is part of the Student One Acts this year, the process can begin with inspiration.
“I took play writing last semester, and I was at home trying to figure out what to write my play about for this class, and I started procrastinating and started watching science movies and came across the idea of creating a sci-fi/thriller play,” said Sarabia.
Christopher Allison, Theatre Arts major, 24, has written and directed a play called “Prisoner of War.”
“I always wanted to submit a play, but I could never find any ideas, so it was last summer, the same exact time my nephew was born, and I said ‘I’m going to write a play,’” said Allison.
Even when writers come up with an idea for their play and put it together, they always have the mindset, purpose and reasoning for why they decided to write their story.
“I hope the audience becomes more aware of PTSD. I hope that I could get people to spread the word that there is help out there and you just need to go find it, like medication and therapy. Just by bringing that knowledge to audience, that would be my goal,” said Allison
The Student One-Acts opening-day matinee at 1:30 p.m. is free. Evening performances are 7:30 to 9:30 p.m, Wednesday through Saturday, and a second matinee is on Wednesday, December 6.
RSVP to the box office for the free matinee and to purchase tickets at 805-378-1485 or [email protected]. To submit ideas for Spring 2018 Student One-Acts, email Professor Fagan at [email protected].
