NORTH MANCHESTER - Thirteen Manchester College first-year students will take the stage for the annual New Student One-Acts.
They debut at 7:30 p.m. today through Saturday in Wampler Auditorium. Tickets are $1 at the door, but admission is free to patrons bringing a canned good for the local food pantry.
The four short plays are produced by the campus chapter of Alpha Psi Omega theatre honorary society. The One-Acts are a true "discovery" for audiences and the college, as only students who have never acted in a Manchester College performance may perform for the One-Acts, which are directed and produced by upper-class students.
Roles this fall range from a heartbroken sweetheart and a very confused actor to the Pillsbury doughboy.
Junior art major Heidi Gonyea, Kokomo, is directing "The Wedding Story" by Julianne Homokay, with a storyteller who makes more than a few mistakes in telling about a married couple, who interrupt her story.
Sophomore communication studies major Jason Adams, Bluffton, is directing "Long Division" from Neil LaBute's "Autobahn," about a boy whose girlfriend breaks up with him. He is comforted by his best friend, who just can't seem to focus on the problems at hand.
Junior communication studies major Alicia Smith, Rochester, is directing "Bake Off" by Sheri Wilner, about a Pillsbury baking competition that heats up when some of the competitors get a bit too serious.
Junior music major David Moan, Goshen, is directing "The Actor's Nightmare" by Christopher Durang, about a stranger who is forced to replace a sick actor.
This wacky repertoire of fun and seriousness is short and sweet. The longest play runs just more than 20 minutes; the shortest is 10 minutes.
