THE ESU ONE ACT PLAYS

Theatrical Review by: Paul Adam Smeltz

Every semester, the student theatrical organization known as Stage II provides an opportunity to direct a one act play to their fellow students at East Stroudsburg University (ESU) in East Stroudsburg, PA. As being one of those students so many years ago, I know it’s a great opportunity to apply all a student has learned about theatre in class and through experiences as well as gaining new knowledge and insights of the interpretive process which is a basic component of the theatrical arts. One must not only delve into the elements that allow his or her character to function, but, as a director, he or she needs to explore and discover the nature of the environment in which everything (including the characters and their behaviors) exist.

This educational opportunity was extended to three students this semester. They are Raj Shanker who is a senior Math Major from Easton, PA, Rachel Mack who is a freshman Theatre/English Major from Lititz, PA, and Dave Morton who is a sophomore History Major from Lake Grove, NY. Each of these directors bring their own diverse backgrounds the theatrical arts and it was demonstrated in their approach to the one act plays they have chosen to direct. However, except for Mr. Morton (who directed a short independent film entitled, “High School Girls”) this is a first time endeavor by the directors and it would be unfair and unrealistic to expect the same level of theatre provided by a director with a great deal of experience. So, while the plays may have had some flaws in their presentation, they can easily be forgiven when this truth it considered.

The first play was directed by Raj Shanker and was entitled, “Hello Out There” by William Saroyan. The play takes place in a jail where a young man (played by Ryan Michael Groff) is imprisoned on the chard of rape. He meets a woman named Emily Smith (played by Amber Lockard) who works for the jail and they begin a romantic involvement. What interested me most about this play was a certain ambivalence to the motivation of the young man. Was he just manipulating Emily as an attempt to free himself from his cell or did he actually have the feelings he expressed during their seemingly contrived courtship? Perhaps it was a little of both. The play engaged the audience by leaving this and other issues for them to decide.

I felt it was a good interpretation of the play. The only thing I found lacking in the production was Mr. Groff’s delivery of his lines. It seemed he decided on a pattern of speech which caused him to pause every four or five words. This took away the suspension of disbelief for me and reminded me I was watching an actor delivering his lines in a play.

This was a minor flaw and it’s only worth mentioning since he was the main character with the majority of the audience’s attention on him. A more seasoned director may have discovered this flaw during rehearsal and found a way to polish the performance of the actor. However, like I said earlier, this oversight can be forgiven when one considers the play was limited by the experience of the director while still being admired as a good first effort as the seed of greater future productions can be seen in this one.

Production staff for this particular play were Elizabeth Page (Stage Manager) and Samatha Auola (Assistant Stage Manager). Other cast member included Jason Pallay (the husband of the woman who accused the young man of rape), Elanor Koenig (the woman who accused the young man of rape), and the men played by Angelo Revilla and Michelle DiBella (yes, she’s female).

The Second play was directed by Rachel Mack and was entitled, “Salmon Tribunal” by Walter Wykes. The play takes place in a restaurant where a woman named Norma (played by Jenn Welch) confronts a woman named June (played by Angel Berlane) who is having an affair with her husband. The play was quite well done as it seemed to demonstrate an encompassing understanding of the situation and how the characters would behave. While the actresses were quite accomplished, I attribute this mostly to the director who may have instilled this quality in the play. The only flaw I found in this production was an ending that could have been a bit stronger with a different choice of delivery of the final line. But, this is a very small incident to an otherwise outstanding presentation.

Production staff for this particular play was Francesca Garrard (Stage Manager).

The third and final play was entitled, “Meditations on a Blind Date” written and directed by Dave Morton. The play takes place on a college campus in which two friends named Lance (played by David Ausem) and Brittany (played by Nikki Matt) attempts to set their room mates up with one another. Their names were Rachel (played by Christi Berlane) and Chris (played by Christopher D. Palardy).

Like most new plays, the dialogue was a bit stilted as the speaking pattern seemed too formal at times. But, this was overshadowed by the authentic feeling one received of modern campus life. I recognized much of what it was like when I was a student at ESU while being reminded of how some things have changed in the last 20 years. In fact, the Chris character reminded me why I didn’t date much while in school. Personal recollections aside, this production showed a great deal of talent from both the director and the actors who performed in it.

Production staff for this particular play was Ben Cohen (Stage Manager).

The production staff for the entire presentation of The Student Directed One Act Plays were Heather Werline (Production Manager), Eric Creegan (Lighting Designer), Robin Kessler (Sound Designer), James Sommerville (Running Crew Chief), Marianne Kouba (Running Crew), Christine Giunta (Box Office and Poster Illustration), and Krista Beam (House Manager) along with Jason Barry and Michelle DiBella who also worked on the Poster Illustration.

The Student Directed One Act Plays is currently being performed at The Fine and Performing Arts Center in the Dale Snow Theatre on the Campus of East Stroudsburg University in East Stroudsburg, PA. The Production runs until Sunday February 11th. Please call 570-422-3483 for information and ticket reservation. The next theatrical production will be “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams to be presented April 24th - 29th.

Photographs relating to the production can be found in The Forwardian Arts Society Theatre Gallery on The Forwardian Arts Society Blog at 360.yahoo.com/pauladam.