Students write plays for Black Box Theater Festival
Performing “One for the Record Books,” an original play by senior Nat Hoopes, junior Ryan Leibold, sophomore Chris Pendry and sophomore Orson Becker participate in 2015’s Black Box Theater Festival.
Experiencing writer’s block, directing a show and casting his peers have been some of sophomore Christopher Pendry’s first steps as one of the playwrights for this year’s Black Box Theater Festival production. The festival takes place on April 21-23 at 7:30 pm each night.
Among the five writers, Pendry is the only one who isn’t a senior. He appreciates the fair treatment he receives from the upperclassmen who won’t be there to help next year.
“It’s sad to know that they’ll all be gone next year,” Pendry said. “Everything’s going to change.”
One of these seniors, Cole Sidabutar, decided to write a play about a post-apocalyptic Lawrence. He had been playing a lot of post-apocalyptic video games at the time and had some trouble try- ing to actually write the play and turn it in before the deadline.
“I did most of the play within the last two weeks before it was due, and that was just because I had trouble sitting down and writing it,” Sidabutar said.
Having an co-director like senior Rose Uhrich, Sidabutar can have someone who can give an authoritative side to their directing. “If there’s something that needs to change I don’t feel comfortable telling someone, so it’s good that I have a co-director who’s willing to make something change,” Sidabutar said.
As well as directing their plays, the writers have to assign roles to the actors. Pendry believes casting is difficult because of the arguing between the writers for actors they want in their own play.
“That [casting] was rough, a lot of people auditioned and a lot of them were good,” Pendry said. “The directors just sit around brawl it out on who gets who and it’s pretty intense but I have a good cast.”
Student direction is just a small part of the Black Box Theater Festival. All of the shows are run by students, giving them an opportunity to see how a theater production is carried out. Pendry believes the Black Box is a good way for him and other students to have an opportunity to have a creative outlet.
“I think [director Nancee] Beilgard’s system is a great way to
get your voice heard and give you an opportunity,” Pendry said. “I thought it was a good outlet for me to submit something. There’s not many places to write and actually have your show produced, and it’s a cool opportunity.”
Sidabutar agrees.
“The key is the student-written, student directing,” he said. “There’s so many other talented writers that it’s a lot different because you realize it’s your peers and classmates that have been working on this and writing this.”
The system of a student-run production can have some draw- backs, like the need to concentrate.
“You can get off track really easily which is why you need strong directores because previously it’s Beilgard and whoever the student director was really hammering it in,” Sidabutar said.
