'Night O f On e Acts' provided for manv A different kind of evenii

Story by Amanda Martin

1 he "Night of One Acts" was not what some call a typical evening at thetheater. It consisted of plays ranging from "The Bear" to the "Sandbox." The plays were directed by Stephen Wedan's play directing classduring thenightsofNovember 18 and 19

These plays allowed junior and senior student directors to implement their ideas with the knowledge they have learned in directing class. Each person was responsible forchoosing,casting, and directinghis own play.That was only thebeginning of a long and dedicated assignment.

The five plays allconsisted of very different plots.They included: "Till Death Do Cls Part," directed by Maggie Cave, in which a young couple planning to geten- gaged discover that she may have a terminal disease. Deciding that love conquers all,they attempt to face the future together.

"I'm Herbert,"directed by Leanne Brunner, was about a crochety and slightly senilecouple,Herbert and Muriel,both having lost track of the number of their previous marriages.Time's effect upon their memories opens the way for a number of gags.

"Where Have All the Lightning Bugs Gone?" directed by Michael Racanelli,is a typical boy-meets-girl play

"The Bear," directed by Anne C. Benedict, represented "the classic confrontationofthesexes" setinturn-of-the-century Russia Itconcerned a bill collector, Smirnoff, who dared to challenge Popova, a young widow, to a duel To his surprise

(and the audience's) she accepts. The suits leave the audience astounded "The Sandbox," directed by Bill Bell, was a social satire on theabsurdsituation of American lifeand its superficialites

The students were encouraged toattend; the plays and appreciate theaesthetic ex perience

The "Night ofOne Acts" proved to bea very different evening. A student com mented, "The play left students with mixed emotions from tears ofsadness to tears of hysteria."

The student directorsandactors realized the importance in theatre that "there are no small parts." The experience gained from this will help them infuture endeav-