Plays in a day, highlights the rawness of theatre Danielle Lo Stage 2 theatre performed their take on 24-hour theater with their show Plays in a day. Encompassing 6 unique stories each bringing out many different emotions from the audience. The show was spectacular given that though there were not many props, lighting effects or set pieces that aided in the audience’s connection with the plays, each individual play was able to pull the audience in with their acting and performance. Plays in a day primarily focused on the rawness of one’s performance, highlighting each actor’s ethic. No one in the audience knew what the plays were about at first but as each story unraveled and more information was introduced about a character or their motivations, it became obvious as to what each story was. There were two plays that were cleverly written with such charm and wit; Antiquity, written by Amanda Hennen and produced by Lauren Jauert and Anthony Ferguson, and Super Subterfuge written by Catherine Dukelow and directed by Katie Keller. These two productions crept up on the audience. The acting done in both were great! The dynamic between the brother and sister duo in Super Subterfuge had the audience referring to the uncanny likeness a brother and sister relationship should be. The interrogation in Antiquity between an antique shop owner, her former co-worker and a cat also displayed each actor’s great performance by creating a serious scene with a humorous purpose. The Details such as the screaming of WINDOWS XP and the connections of what there would be for dinner enhanced the shows quality and without it would not have given the audience laughter, fright, pure confusion or that “OH” moment. Love in the last Inning written by Skylar Sarvela and directed by Della Christ Brought the audience to a much different place than the other productions as its main purpose was to pull at the audience’s heart strings. Mary Auchter and Patrick Timmons played lovers who were celebrating their anniversary. As the performance continues the audience learns of the dynamics of their relationship and, along with the couple themselves, get a better understanding of their individual insecurities and baggage. Auchter played her role especially well as she put her own reactions and emotions into her character, making her character hers in a sense. Stella Vatsdal and Cole David Mercier’s Below Orion’s belt and Makayla Taylor and Ashley Gray’s Narnia at night Centered around humor. Compared to the plays mentioned above, they were not as memorable. The actors in Below Orion’s belt were good as they played off each other’s energy’s well and their friendship was believable. The story itself was okay, as it only really relied on humor to drive it to it’s unexpected and just weird ending. Narnia at night had the same characteristics of Below Orion’s belt, gave the audience lots of laughs but not a meaningful ending. Last but not least in any aspect, Writer’s (cock) block. Written and Directed by Sam Hildestad and Ian Wallin, if there is a word to describe this show it would be intense! The actors did a fine job, a little disappointed by the use of a script, however their actions are what sold this show. From basically orgasming onstage to a shilling scream of death this show really brought it. And honestly if one were doing a show with sexual innuendo as this one it’s always a good thing to bring it. But, one has to admit that a lot of the sexual innuendos were very predictable. The twist ending, on the other hand, was not. No one in the audience thought that was the turn this show was taking and that’s what made the show as well. Overall Plays in a day was a success. Most of their plays were very interesting and brought something to the table that had not yet been there. The acting was very good and impressed many members of the audience and showed that 24-hour theatre can be done in a minimalist fashion, thus bringing the rawness of theater in view.
Plays in a day, by the organization Stage2, is essentially plays written, directed, and performed in a span of 24 hours. In total there were six short plays presented to the audience. As the plays would begin, the story of the plays would leave many confused, but as the play continued, the context of the play was figured out and the audience members would be immersed into the play. The plays preformed were a bit stiff, as they were limited with 24 hours, but the plays that they produce in 24 hours were impressive pieces of work full of disastrous masterpieces.
For all of the plays, they relied on some form of comedy to win over the audience, but one play that didn’t heavily utilize comedy was Love In The Last Inning written by Skylar Sarvela, directed by Della Christ, and acted by Mary Aucher and Patrick Timmons. This play did not rely heavily on humor to win over the audience, but rather relied on a conflict of drama between a couple to draw in the audience’s attention. This play displayed extraordinary acting, and such realism which brought the stage to life.
The play brought up the topic of jealousy within a relationship, which can be related by many couples and individuals who have experienced a similar situation. Aside from the play covering the topic of jealousy, the play also covers how the couple is able to cope with this problem that they have and move on.
Along with the topic being covered, the actors did a phenomenal job and provided such character with feelings to how the character would be feeling, and the actors were able to make the scene very believable. Patrick Timmons, who plays as the boyfriend, did a phenomenal job at excavating his characters feeling of jealousy to Mary Aucher, who plays the girlfriend.
Another thing to mention was Stage2’s use of existing resources and how they made the most out of its available inventory. The use of the lights in the room is one of their best examples of this as they were able to simulate the play being in a stadium.
Overall, Plays in a Day, was an great play for a late night session full of practical jokes, dark humor, and light drama. I am excited for the Stage2’s rendition for the next years Plays in a Day.
Plays In A Day, the first time experience Kevin Thao
Plays in a Day by Stage2 are a set of plays written, directed, rehearsed, and finally performed within 24 hours. A set of 6 plays were performed, each bringing their very own theme, set of laughs, and emotions. One major difference that the audience should know before going into these plays is that since these plays are all created within the span of 24 hours, the element of randomness and surprise is a major factor for these plays. This element helps bolster each play by creating amazing comedy, connections towards the characters, and preventing each play from being predictable. Throughout the performances each play was able to creatively utilize the most of their resources presenting a compelling story, and ultimately creating an amazing show for anyone to watch.
Antiquity, written by Amanda Hennen and directed by Lauren Jauert and Antony Ferguson, utilized the setting and props to their best. This play compared to the others felt the most alive, lived in, and interactive. The play takes place within a small pawn shop and throughout the performance we see the actors moving things, banging on tables, and utilizing the environment to the fullest. These interactions helped keep the play interesting since the plot took more of a back seat approach. Within the 10 minute time span, the plot definitely gave a feeling of more to be desired since even after the conclusion there were still questions that lingered about the event.
Love in the Last Inning, written by Skylar Sarvela, directed by Della Christ, and performed by Mary Auchter and Patrick Timmons decided to pass upon the humor that many plays brought and instead go towards the opposite direction towards emotions. Instead of a light hearted comedy, the audience was treated to a compelling and realistic snapshot of a couples life. Although the scenery didn’t help much to immerse the audience into the story, the acting by Mary Auchter and Patrick Timmons definitely were able easily overshadow the problem. Both actors had strong chemistry with one another and were able to connect to the audience on an emotional level.
Super Subterfuge written by Catherine Dukelow and directed by Katie Keller was by far the most light hearted of all of the plays, setting out to be overall an enjoyable performance. This play was able to perfectly capture the essence of children's imagination as two siblings live out their dreams of being superheroes. The interactions between the two are flawless, bickering with one another as all siblings do, to finally come together to resolve their problems. Towards the end of the play we learn a small tidbit about the entire situation that gives a heart warming closure to what was an enjoyable play.
Overall, Plays in a Day was an amazing event for anyone to attend. It was a highly enjoyable night full of laughs, emotions, and amazing entertainment. Most definitely worth the price of only $5 per ticket to watch cleverly crafted plays, performances, and an amazing atmosphere. I’m excited for Stage2’s future productions and looking forward to what new experiences they will bring.
The night started off later than I had first expected. I had received poor information and some of the plays were worth the wait. I disliked a few things about the night and one was the Playbill. The actors names were on the sheet but the parts they played weren’t. I Would have liked to have the roles along with the names as then I would be able to recognize names with faces.
The first play was my favorite. Below Orion’s Belt was a dramatic comedy of three college dudes drinking on the beach. Written by, Stella Vatnsdal and directed by, Cole David Mercier this play was the best of the night. The actors did a wonderful job in reacting to each other and portraying a more sloppy behavior of a drunk.
The second play was less funny in my own opinion. Narnia At Night was a play about the White Witch, a clumsy girl, and another one with a tough girl attitude. Written by Makayla Taylor and directed by Ashley Gray, this play was okay in itself. I believe it could have been written better and the ending was too predictable. The three actors did a wonderful job with their characters and were hilarious even when the script was lacking.
The third play was Antiqity. The two main actors kept laughing through the play and I found this to take me away from the story. From what I could tell the story was about Bill Gates. Written by Amanda Hennen and directed by Lauren Jauert and Antony Ferguson, this play was fun for one reason. They had a pretty girl on a leash.
Super Subterfuge was great. Well Written by Catherine Dukelow and great directing by Katie Keller, this play was my second favorite of the night. Not as funny which is why but it brought you through a string of emotion. The two superheros were great and loveable and the ‘evil villain/ dad was super great.
Love In The Last Inning, a classic love tale at a baseball game. Written by Skylar Sarvela and directed by Della Christ this play was a lot different from the others. This play was a great break from the comedies and provided some pretty decent acting. The Two actors did a great job and the writing was great. Everything about this play in particular was great. One of the plays that was worth seeing.
The last play had no restrictions. It was so vulgar. Writer's (cock) Block was a mix of Disney’s inside out and sensual dreams. Not really my type of play but had a few few good laughs. The actors were in good spirits and were funny by themselves. Written by Sam Hildestad and directed by Ian Wallin this play was the most memorable. Everyone did a good job in the play but the fact that the writer made it so dirty I just couldn’t enjoy it as much as I wish I could’ve.
Over all the night went quite well. The only things I didn’t like were the Playbills, and a few of the writing choices. This was a great night and would be great to do it again in the next year. It was well worth the wait in the beginning.
Plays in a day is UMD Stage Two’s take on 24 Hour Theatre. Six shows, about ten minutes each with a small cast, these shows are written, cast, directed, and produced in 24 hours. Yet the final product is unbelievable. All six shows are unique and memorable and sheer acting prowess of the performers, to develop a memorable character to just a few hours rehearsal was remarkable. From a cute two person rom-com to an over the top story of three bros’ first year of college. The shows were fun, relatable and well done on the writers part.
Below Orion’s Belt, Is a very familiar story three friends recapping on their first year of college, sitting under the stars, passing around a bottle. The overall feeling of the show is both natural and familiar to anyone who have met up with friends after a long time apart. Playing a game called ‘truth or shot’ to force one of the bros to confess, is excellently done and fun to watch. Climaxing in Orion confessing he is in ‘love’ with Winnie the Poo both adds a funny sense of awkwardness as well as a brilliant way to end the show. With a ‘below the belt’ shot.
Love in the Last Inning, is rom-com of sorts, set in an empty baseball stadium a couple reminisces about their personal best-day-of-my-life. It has organic humor and romantic moments. The setting is brilliant as it adds an intimate feel to the show while still feeling casual and realistic. The only issue that the show seems to have is the ending feels to be drawn out after the mood change. Yet this adds to the story in a ‘what comes after the love story’ kind of way. It gives the show excellent charm and makes it even more enjoyable to watch.
Super Subterfuge, a cute show reminiscent of childhood memories of playing superhero, innocently funny with the brother-sister duo being pulled of naturally. The plot twist at the end is both brilliant and extremely cute, something that a parent would do and adds a complete other dynamic to the show itself. Excellent writing, the physical side of the acting was hilarious, specifically with the blindfold and ‘gag’ gag adding to the show unbelievably.
Lastly Writer’s (Cock) Block, deliberate in its intention, and purposely put last, it was brilliant, connecting to its demographic of the dirty minded college student. Chalk full of innuendos and clever humor not limited to simply wordplay. The characters were both over the top and relatable. Specifically Buster, who’s character was perfect for the story, a dirty seasoned writer who struggles at times for drive, but has a love for his craft. Getting into the idea of a zombie related dream extremely fast.
Plays In A Day had many mishaps prior to its performance. These delays set the tone for the evening: disappointment. The audience was comprised of those who were close with the cast and crew of Stage 2.
The first segment was called Below Orion’s Belt. This segment received a lot of positive feedback from the crowd Chris Hoffman’s drunk inhibitions were very believable. All of the actors truly seemed like best friends. There were some awkward moments that added to the reality of these characters. The fetish was a complete surprise for the audience. It was a great twist ending.
The second segment of the evening was titled Narnia At Night. Actor Naomi Leedahl was the highlight of the piece. She provided comedy on command. The remaining duo lacked true chemistry onstage. They tried to feign it, yet failed miserably. The writer, Makayla Taylor, relied heavily on past tropes such as buddy-cop productions. It was not the best nor the worst production of the night. The play showed promise of being memorable but fell short.
Antiquity was the title of the third segment of the night. Even with two creative directors, this production was the worst piece of the night. The storyline had a very confusing plot. None of the audience members could follow along. In fact, the actors looked baffled for the majority of the play. They received barely any laughter from their audience. Shelby Desautel was the saving grace of the entire production. Without using a single word, she was the sole comedic aspect of the segment.
The fourth segment, on the other hand, was the best piece of the night. This play had the most heart and believability. It was called Super Subterfuge. Writer Catherine Dukelow made great use of the dialogue to set up the plot twist. The audience completely believed the two main actors were true siblings. They made a wonderful duo! This play had an extremely relatable cast. Katie Keller, the director, did a marvelous job. There were some awkward pauses but the siblings worked through them. Their improvisation helped the piece succeed.
The fifth segment was known as Love In The Last Inning. The main couple severely lacked chemistry. Also, Mary Auchter’s costume for this piece was disappointing. She did remember her lines very well. Her counterpart, Patrick, inserted an unnecessary pause from time to time during the performance. The dialogue itself had the possibility to be average. Although, cliches were heavily used. Plus, some of the dialogue was out of place. There were contradictions between what was said in the past and what was being said presently. The segment itself had the potential to be great yet became utterly disappointing.
The final segment of the night received the most reactions from the audience. It was the most beloved segment. The piece was called Writer’s (Cock) Block, written by Sam Hildestad. He used general immaturity as a crutch for this so-called comedy. The majority of the content within the play was too predictable. All of them used their scripts onstage. The actors were not discreet at all. This, ultimately, ruined their believability. Actress Maddie Schafer even stumbled through her lines at times, even with the script right in front of her. Josie Barstad performed the best. All of them were believable during at least one point of the piece, regardless of their script use. This play, in general, was extremely amusing to the audience. This segment was less of a piece of theatre than a group of youths making sexual jokes with their friends during intermission. There was not any heart or depth to be found within this play. The audience had no expectations of this play, yet they were absolutely satisfied. This segment was a success in that way.
Overall, Plays In A Day was mediocre. This company wasted their audience’s time. Perhaps their future productions will be better.
Note: This review was originally over 2,000 words in length. It has been revised. Also, the title were underlined.
Six shows, ten minutes each, and produced in only 24 hours.
Crazy is what comes to mind.
UMD’s Stage 2 held Plays in a Day, which consists of small plays, with a small cast. This is all written, rehearsed, and performed within a 24-hour period. It’s a unique take on the theater experience. The final product is shocking. The plays were fun and relatable.
The first play Below Orion’s Belt was very interesting. They did a wonderful job of making it seem so relatable to people who were reminiscing and recapping times they’ve had before. It felt familiar and realistic.
Next was Love in the Last Inning. I didn’t like the ending because it felt like it was dragging on and I started to lose interest, which gave it a realistic feel, but I wanted more from it. It had charm and a rom-com feel. I enjoyed it, but the ending was a flaw in my eyes. Also, the couple didn’t go together very well. They lacked chemistry and that was disappointing and it kind of ruined it for me.
Super Subterfuge, the brother-sister duo seemed so natural and realistic. It was a great story of childhood memories. The writing was amazing, and the acting was hilarious. The plot twist at the end made the play so much stronger. They did a lot of improvisation, but it was a wonderful addition to the play.
Lastly Writer’s (Cock) Block, my favorite overall and the favorite for many audience members. It was purposefully put last because it was the strongest production. Perfectly executed by the cast, the characters made it so relatable to college students. This play was very amusing and put together the whole night.
I tried to set aside some of the issues like stumbling on lines, and I tried to focus on how they were executing the stories. They only had short amount of time and I think that if they had more time these plays could be wonderful. For what they had, they made it fun and memorable for me. I don’t think they executed each play to the best of their ability, but they will grow from the experience.
Overall, it’s an experience that everyone should try. It was a fun night and it was enjoyable, and I would recommend anyone to see it. Stage 2 is a creative and talented group of people. It's hard to take the focus off of the mistakes that were made, but they had short amount of time and the effort was there for each play. I think that they will learn a lot from that night. They will learn and improve so if you can see it in the future I would recommend doing so.
Plays in a day, highlights the rawness of theatre
ReplyDeleteDanielle Lo
Stage 2 theatre performed their take on 24-hour theater with their show Plays in a day. Encompassing 6 unique stories each bringing out many different emotions from the audience. The show was spectacular given that though there were not many props, lighting effects or set pieces that aided in the audience’s connection with the plays, each individual play was able to pull the audience in with their acting and performance. Plays in a day primarily focused on the rawness of one’s performance, highlighting each actor’s ethic. No one in the audience knew what the plays were about at first but as each story unraveled and more information was introduced about a character or their motivations, it became obvious as to what each story was.
There were two plays that were cleverly written with such charm and wit; Antiquity, written by Amanda Hennen and produced by Lauren Jauert and Anthony Ferguson, and Super Subterfuge written by Catherine Dukelow and directed by Katie Keller. These two productions crept up on the audience. The acting done in both were great! The dynamic between the brother and sister duo in Super Subterfuge had the audience referring to the uncanny likeness a brother and sister relationship should be. The interrogation in Antiquity between an antique shop owner, her former co-worker and a cat also displayed each actor’s great performance by creating a serious scene with a humorous purpose. The Details such as the screaming of WINDOWS XP and the connections of what there would be for dinner enhanced the shows quality and without it would not have given the audience laughter, fright, pure confusion or that “OH” moment.
Love in the last Inning written by Skylar Sarvela and directed by Della Christ Brought the audience to a much different place than the other productions as its main purpose was to pull at the audience’s heart strings. Mary Auchter and Patrick Timmons played lovers who were celebrating their anniversary. As the performance continues the audience learns of the dynamics of their relationship and, along with the couple themselves, get a better understanding of their individual insecurities and baggage. Auchter played her role especially well as she put her own reactions and emotions into her character, making her character hers in a sense.
Stella Vatsdal and Cole David Mercier’s Below Orion’s belt and Makayla Taylor and Ashley Gray’s Narnia at night Centered around humor. Compared to the plays mentioned above, they were not as memorable. The actors in Below Orion’s belt were good as they played off each other’s energy’s well and their friendship was believable. The story itself was okay, as it only really relied on humor to drive it to it’s unexpected and just weird ending. Narnia at night had the same characteristics of Below Orion’s belt, gave the audience lots of laughs but not a meaningful ending.
Last but not least in any aspect, Writer’s (cock) block. Written and Directed by Sam Hildestad and Ian Wallin, if there is a word to describe this show it would be intense! The actors did a fine job, a little disappointed by the use of a script, however their actions are what sold this show. From basically orgasming onstage to a shilling scream of death this show really brought it. And honestly if one were doing a show with sexual innuendo as this one it’s always a good thing to bring it. But, one has to admit that a lot of the sexual innuendos were very predictable. The twist ending, on the other hand, was not. No one in the audience thought that was the turn this show was taking and that’s what made the show as well.
Overall Plays in a day was a success. Most of their plays were very interesting and brought something to the table that had not yet been there. The acting was very good and impressed many members of the audience and showed that 24-hour theatre can be done in a minimalist fashion, thus bringing the rawness of theater in view.
Plays in a day, beautiful chaos!
ReplyDeleteCyril J. Xiong
Plays in a day, by the organization Stage2, is essentially plays written, directed, and performed in a span of 24 hours. In total there were six short plays presented to the audience. As the plays would begin, the story of the plays would leave many confused, but as the play continued, the context of the play was figured out and the audience members would be immersed into the play. The plays preformed were a bit stiff, as they were limited with 24 hours, but the plays that they produce in 24 hours were impressive pieces of work full of disastrous masterpieces.
For all of the plays, they relied on some form of comedy to win over the audience, but one play that didn’t heavily utilize comedy was Love In The Last Inning written by Skylar Sarvela, directed by Della Christ, and acted by Mary Aucher and Patrick Timmons. This play did not rely heavily on humor to win over the audience, but rather relied on a conflict of drama between a couple to draw in the audience’s attention. This play displayed extraordinary acting, and such realism which brought the stage to life.
The play brought up the topic of jealousy within a relationship, which can be related by many couples and individuals who have experienced a similar situation. Aside from the play covering the topic of jealousy, the play also covers how the couple is able to cope with this problem that they have and move on.
Along with the topic being covered, the actors did a phenomenal job and provided such character with feelings to how the character would be feeling, and the actors were able to make the scene very believable. Patrick Timmons, who plays as the boyfriend, did a phenomenal job at excavating his characters feeling of jealousy to Mary Aucher, who plays the girlfriend.
Another thing to mention was Stage2’s use of existing resources and how they made the most out of its available inventory. The use of the lights in the room is one of their best examples of this as they were able to simulate the play being in a stadium.
Overall, Plays in a Day, was an great play for a late night session full of practical jokes, dark humor, and light drama. I am excited for the Stage2’s rendition for the next years Plays in a Day.
Plays In A Day, the first time experience
ReplyDeleteKevin Thao
Plays in a Day by Stage2 are a set of plays written, directed, rehearsed, and finally performed within 24 hours. A set of 6 plays were performed, each bringing their very own theme, set of laughs, and emotions. One major difference that the audience should know before going into these plays is that since these plays are all created within the span of 24 hours, the element of randomness and surprise is a major factor for these plays. This element helps bolster each play by creating amazing comedy, connections towards the characters, and preventing each play from being predictable. Throughout the performances each play was able to creatively utilize the most of their resources presenting a compelling story, and ultimately creating an amazing show for anyone to watch.
Antiquity, written by Amanda Hennen and directed by Lauren Jauert and Antony Ferguson, utilized the setting and props to their best. This play compared to the others felt the most alive, lived in, and interactive. The play takes place within a small pawn shop and throughout the performance we see the actors moving things, banging on tables, and utilizing the environment to the fullest. These interactions helped keep the play interesting since the plot took more of a back seat approach. Within the 10 minute time span, the plot definitely gave a feeling of more to be desired since even after the conclusion there were still questions that lingered about the event.
Love in the Last Inning, written by Skylar Sarvela, directed by Della Christ, and performed by Mary Auchter and Patrick Timmons decided to pass upon the humor that many plays brought and instead go towards the opposite direction towards emotions. Instead of a light hearted comedy, the audience was treated to a compelling and realistic snapshot of a couples life. Although the scenery didn’t help much to immerse the audience into the story, the acting by Mary Auchter and Patrick Timmons definitely were able easily overshadow the problem. Both actors had strong chemistry with one another and were able to connect to the audience on an emotional level.
Super Subterfuge written by Catherine Dukelow and directed by Katie Keller was by far the most light hearted of all of the plays, setting out to be overall an enjoyable performance. This play was able to perfectly capture the essence of children's imagination as two siblings live out their dreams of being superheroes. The interactions between the two are flawless, bickering with one another as all siblings do, to finally come together to resolve their problems. Towards the end of the play we learn a small tidbit about the entire situation that gives a heart warming closure to what was an enjoyable play.
Overall, Plays in a Day was an amazing event for anyone to attend. It was a highly enjoyable night full of laughs, emotions, and amazing entertainment. Most definitely worth the price of only $5 per ticket to watch cleverly crafted plays, performances, and an amazing atmosphere. I’m excited for Stage2’s future productions and looking forward to what new experiences they will bring.
The night started off later than I had first expected. I had received poor information and some of the plays were worth the wait. I disliked a few things about the night and one was the Playbill. The actors names were on the sheet but the parts they played weren’t. I Would have liked to have the roles along with the names as then I would be able to recognize names with faces.
ReplyDeleteThe first play was my favorite. Below Orion’s Belt was a dramatic comedy of three college dudes drinking on the beach. Written by, Stella Vatnsdal and directed by, Cole David Mercier this play was the best of the night. The actors did a wonderful job in reacting to each other and portraying a more sloppy behavior of a drunk.
The second play was less funny in my own opinion. Narnia At Night was a play about the White Witch, a clumsy girl, and another one with a tough girl attitude. Written by Makayla Taylor and directed by Ashley Gray, this play was okay in itself. I believe it could have been written better and the ending was too predictable. The three actors did a wonderful job with their characters and were hilarious even when the script was lacking.
The third play was Antiqity. The two main actors kept laughing through the play and I found this to take me away from the story. From what I could tell the story was about Bill Gates. Written by Amanda Hennen and directed by Lauren Jauert and Antony Ferguson, this play was fun for one reason. They had a pretty girl on a leash.
Super Subterfuge was great. Well Written by Catherine Dukelow and great directing by Katie Keller, this play was my second favorite of the night. Not as funny which is why but it brought you through a string of emotion. The two superheros were great and loveable and the ‘evil villain/ dad was super great.
Love In The Last Inning, a classic love tale at a baseball game. Written by Skylar Sarvela and directed by Della Christ this play was a lot different from the others. This play was a great break from the comedies and provided some pretty decent acting. The Two actors did a great job and the writing was great. Everything about this play in particular was great. One of the plays that was worth seeing.
The last play had no restrictions. It was so vulgar. Writer's (cock) Block was a mix of Disney’s inside out and sensual dreams. Not really my type of play but had a few few good laughs. The actors were in good spirits and were funny by themselves. Written by Sam Hildestad and directed by Ian Wallin this play was the most memorable. Everyone did a good job in the play but the fact that the writer made it so dirty I just couldn’t enjoy it as much as I wish I could’ve.
Over all the night went quite well. The only things I didn’t like were the Playbills, and a few of the writing choices. This was a great night and would be great to do it again in the next year. It was well worth the wait in the beginning.
Plays in a day, Uniquely fun.
ReplyDeletePeter Koering
Plays in a day is UMD Stage Two’s take on 24 Hour Theatre. Six shows, about ten minutes each with a small cast, these shows are written, cast, directed, and produced in 24 hours. Yet the final product is unbelievable. All six shows are unique and memorable and sheer acting prowess of the performers, to develop a memorable character to just a few hours rehearsal was remarkable. From a cute two person rom-com to an over the top story of three bros’ first year of college. The shows were fun, relatable and well done on the writers part.
Below Orion’s Belt, Is a very familiar story three friends recapping on their first year of college, sitting under the stars, passing around a bottle. The overall feeling of the show is both natural and familiar to anyone who have met up with friends after a long time apart. Playing a game called ‘truth or shot’ to force one of the bros to confess, is excellently done and fun to watch. Climaxing in Orion confessing he is in ‘love’ with Winnie the Poo both adds a funny sense of awkwardness as well as a brilliant way to end the show. With a ‘below the belt’ shot.
Love in the Last Inning, is rom-com of sorts, set in an empty baseball stadium a couple reminisces about their personal best-day-of-my-life. It has organic humor and romantic moments. The setting is brilliant as it adds an intimate feel to the show while still feeling casual and realistic. The only issue that the show seems to have is the ending feels to be drawn out after the mood change. Yet this adds to the story in a ‘what comes after the love story’ kind of way. It gives the show excellent charm and makes it even more enjoyable to watch.
Super Subterfuge, a cute show reminiscent of childhood memories of playing superhero, innocently funny with the brother-sister duo being pulled of naturally. The plot twist at the end is both brilliant and extremely cute, something that a parent would do and adds a complete other dynamic to the show itself. Excellent writing, the physical side of the acting was hilarious, specifically with the blindfold and ‘gag’ gag adding to the show unbelievably.
Lastly Writer’s (Cock) Block, deliberate in its intention, and purposely put last, it was brilliant, connecting to its demographic of the dirty minded college student. Chalk full of innuendos and clever humor not limited to simply wordplay. The characters were both over the top and relatable. Specifically Buster, who’s character was perfect for the story, a dirty seasoned writer who struggles at times for drive, but has a love for his craft. Getting into the idea of a zombie related dream extremely fast.
A Review of Plays In A Day
ReplyDeleteBy Libby Haggerty
Plays In A Day had many mishaps prior to its performance. These delays set the tone for the evening: disappointment. The audience was comprised of those who were close with the cast and crew of Stage 2.
The first segment was called Below Orion’s Belt. This segment received a lot of positive feedback from the crowd Chris Hoffman’s drunk inhibitions were very believable. All of the actors truly seemed like best friends. There were some awkward moments that added to the reality of these characters. The fetish was a complete surprise for the audience. It was a great twist ending.
The second segment of the evening was titled Narnia At Night. Actor Naomi Leedahl was the highlight of the piece. She provided comedy on command. The remaining duo lacked true chemistry onstage. They tried to feign it, yet failed miserably. The writer, Makayla Taylor, relied heavily on past tropes such as buddy-cop productions. It was not the best nor the worst production of the night. The play showed promise of being memorable but fell short.
Antiquity was the title of the third segment of the night. Even with two creative directors, this production was the worst piece of the night. The storyline had a very confusing plot. None of the audience members could follow along. In fact, the actors looked baffled for the majority of the play. They received barely any laughter from their audience. Shelby Desautel was the saving grace of the entire production. Without using a single word, she was the sole comedic aspect of the segment.
The fourth segment, on the other hand, was the best piece of the night. This play had the most heart and believability. It was called Super Subterfuge. Writer Catherine Dukelow made great use of the dialogue to set up the plot twist. The audience completely believed the two main actors were true siblings. They made a wonderful duo! This play had an extremely relatable cast. Katie Keller, the director, did a marvelous job. There were some awkward pauses but the siblings worked through them. Their improvisation helped the piece succeed.
The fifth segment was known as Love In The Last Inning. The main couple severely lacked chemistry. Also, Mary Auchter’s costume for this piece was disappointing. She did remember her lines very well. Her counterpart, Patrick, inserted an unnecessary pause from time to time during the performance. The dialogue itself had the possibility to be average. Although, cliches were heavily used. Plus, some of the dialogue was out of place. There were contradictions between what was said in the past and what was being said presently. The segment itself had the potential to be great yet became utterly disappointing.
The final segment of the night received the most reactions from the audience. It was the most beloved segment. The piece was called Writer’s (Cock) Block, written by Sam Hildestad. He used general immaturity as a crutch for this so-called comedy. The majority of the content within the play was too predictable. All of them used their scripts onstage. The actors were not discreet at all. This, ultimately, ruined their believability. Actress Maddie Schafer even stumbled through her lines at times, even with the script right in front of her. Josie Barstad performed the best. All of them were believable during at least one point of the piece, regardless of their script use. This play, in general, was extremely amusing to the audience. This segment was less of a piece of theatre than a group of youths making sexual jokes with their friends during intermission. There was not any heart or depth to be found within this play. The audience had no expectations of this play, yet they were absolutely satisfied. This segment was a success in that way.
Overall, Plays In A Day was mediocre. This company wasted their audience’s time. Perhaps their future productions will be better.
Note: This review was originally over 2,000 words in length. It has been revised. Also, the title were underlined.
Plays in a Day Review By: Kennedy Buck
ReplyDeleteSix shows, ten minutes each, and produced in only 24 hours.
Crazy is what comes to mind.
UMD’s Stage 2 held Plays in a Day, which consists of small plays, with a small cast. This is all written, rehearsed, and performed within a 24-hour period. It’s a unique take on the theater experience. The final product is shocking. The plays were fun and relatable.
The first play Below Orion’s Belt was very interesting. They did a wonderful job of making it seem so relatable to people who were reminiscing and recapping times they’ve had before. It felt familiar and realistic.
Next was Love in the Last Inning. I didn’t like the ending because it felt like it was dragging on and I started to lose interest, which gave it a realistic feel, but I wanted more from it. It had charm and a rom-com feel. I enjoyed it, but the ending was a flaw in my eyes. Also, the couple didn’t go together very well. They lacked chemistry and that was disappointing and it kind of ruined it for me.
Super Subterfuge, the brother-sister duo seemed so natural and realistic. It was a great story of childhood memories. The writing was amazing, and the acting was hilarious. The plot twist at the end made the play so much stronger. They did a lot of improvisation, but it was a wonderful addition to the play.
Lastly Writer’s (Cock) Block, my favorite overall and the favorite for many audience members. It was purposefully put last because it was the strongest production. Perfectly executed by the cast, the characters made it so relatable to college students. This play was very amusing and put together the whole night.
I tried to set aside some of the issues like stumbling on lines, and I tried to focus on how they were executing the stories. They only had short amount of time and I think that if they had more time these plays could be wonderful. For what they had, they made it fun and memorable for me. I don’t think they executed each play to the best of their ability, but they will grow from the experience.
Overall, it’s an experience that everyone should try. It was a fun night and it was enjoyable, and I would recommend anyone to see it. Stage 2 is a creative and talented group of people. It's hard to take the focus off of the mistakes that were made, but they had short amount of time and the effort was there for each play. I think that they will learn a lot from that night. They will learn and improve so if you can see it in the future I would recommend doing so.