Student-directed one-act plays demonstrate creative freedom of Bethel theater
Five one-acts were cast, rehearsed, and directed by theater students for a night of non-stop performances.
Bethel College theater has completed its final performance of the fall semester with five student-directed one-acts. While these plays exist in a single act, they can range from ten minutes to an hour in length. Unlike other productions, Bethel’s one-acts are the final project for students in the theater production and direction class.
“I'd had all of the students in class before; they're all wonderful,” said Director of Theater Damon Klassen who teaches theater production and direction. “They worked as a collective, leaning on another and providing support when needed. That's what theater is all about, and it's lovely to see it all play out.”
Students were given the freedom to select their one-act, which resulted in a thematically diverse collection of plays.
“I chose my one-act because I wanted to do something that would be challenging for the actors and challenging for me as a director,” said Emily Guldner from Independence, Mo. “I want to be a theater teacher after Bethel. … I’m getting to learn with friends in a forgiving environment where it’s okay to make a million mistakes.”
Student directors were also responsible for the casting process. “My cast ended up being all freshmen, and it’s really nice to work with new talent,” said Hayden Honomichl from Great Bend. “They came to auditions and just really stood out to me. They stepped into the roles and were exactly what I was picturing.”
Producing a play on a small campus in the midst of finals season with limited rehearsal time, unsurprisingly, comes with its challenges.
“A cast that originally started with two actors is now down to one … so I’m going to get on stage myself,” said Brett Esch from Carrollton, Texas. “I’ve never acted past elementary school, so this is exciting.” Esch was not the only student director new to theater.
“I have never been in a play and the only play I’ve seen was the Addams Family, so I was super new to all of this,” said Michayla Contreras from Las Cruces, N.M. “I was able to step out of my comfort zone and try new things that I have never done, and it was stressful at times, but I was able to learn how to adapt and how to produce a small show.”
The one-acts were performed Friday evening in Krehbiel Auditorium. Several casts consisted of only a couple members, others had over six actors. Most sets were simple, arranged and rearranged for the staging of each play. Some costumes were elaborate, even elegant, but the majority were no more than practical.
The range of productions was, in some ways, obvious. Not all actors were “off book” and used phones to read their lines while other companies were methodically staged and rehearsed. That being said, the audience was engaged in every performance.
“The crowd last night for the One-Acts was fantastic and supportive,” said Klassen. “I would love to see some of those folks on the stage, backstage, or in the booth as well. I'd love to be able to do shows with casts that are more representative of the diversity we have on this campus.”
The theater production and direction class is taught every other year, typically in the spring semester. All students are invited to audition for future one-acts or any Bethel theater production.