Students from Wilmington College’s Directing II class will present student-directed one-act plays free of charge on April 10 and 11, at 7:30 p.m., in Heiland Theatre. All four short plays will be presented on both nights. Each one-act deals with characters seeking connection. Whether it is a classmate, a friend, a spouse or a stranger, they are all reaching out to try to find someone with whom they can forge a relationship.
The first play, Relative Strangers, written by Sheri Wilner, is a comedy about two women seated side-by-side on a crowded airplane. As they engage in small talk, one of the women sees an opportunity for a relationship she has been missing her whole life. The play is directed by Kyleigh Caves, with stage management by Sydney Overmyer. Carlie McCoy plays the role of Marie Barrett, with Jessica Fair as Marie Harvey. Ellie Craig portrays the role of Virginia, the stewardess. Sterling Goodwin is featured as the voice of the pilot
The second play will be Blood Guilt, a drama by Jane and Jim Jeffries. The play starts as Nicholas has just moved to a new school. He is socially awkward and just needs a friend, so he reaches out to the loner girl in the corner. Slowly, they begin to build a friendship. As they each open up, they discover a connection — they both lost a sibling to gun violence. This play explores the grief and loss in the aftermath of mass tragedy and how to start a conversation toward forgiveness and healing. The play is directed by Emma Schnecker with stage management by Gracie Bowers. Claire Newkirk plays Ali, and Devon Snyder portrays Nicholas.
The third play, A Tale of Two Spectators by Peter Manos, will be performed after intermission. In a park, a man and a woman secretly watch their respective spouses carry on an affair. As time goes on, we realize they have been meeting like this to watch their spouses for quite some time and have even developed something of a bond with each other, despite their predicament. And perhaps they have discovered a little more about themselves and their lives, as well. This comedy is directed by Ollie Basta with stage management by Grace Matthews. The cast consists of Cecelia Hunt as the woman and Jake Stein as the man..
The final play of the evening will be Henry's Law, written by Stacie Lents. It follows the brilliant (but socially awkward) Max as he starts tutoring popular student Sara in chemistry. An unlikely friendship begins, but Max isn't prepared for the feelings that develop — and neither is her overprotective boyfriend, Jason. When cruel rumors about Max start circulating online, he considers drastic measures to end the attacks on his character. Although lighthearted at times, Henry’s Law examines the tragic effects of cyberbullying. Henry’s Law is directed by Dalan Toups with stage management by Makenna Garn. The cast includes Wyatt Morrow as Max, Makayla Thomason as Sara, Hannah Schroder as Annie, and Otto Cipollini as Jason.
The student-directed one-act plays are intended for mature audiences as several of them deal with challenging topics, present complex social issues and include coarse language. Admission is free to students and community members with festival seating, no reservations. The house opens 30 minutes before each performance.