OneActs

Student Directed One-Acts

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The double feature happening in the W.D Powell theatre Thursday April 19 through Sunday April 22 is sure to be an exciting one. Not only are these plays student directed, but one was even written and directed by the same student.

Samuel Edgren, a senior here at Union with majors in theatre and English, wrote his play in completion of Discipline Specific Honors for his English major.

“I wanted to adapt a play of an existing piece of literature…I chose ‘Paradise Lost’ by John Milton because I liked the story and dramatic content,” Edgren said. “So I spent the next year and a half working on a script, the story line is an expanded play of Genesis 3 as seen by Milton, as seen by me.”

He explained that the script is a straight adaptation of “Paradise Lost” but that the content was in no way to be taken as absolutely true or scriptural. The theme being man’s first disobedience, which occurs in Genesis 3.

The play, entitled “Pardon the Pitchfork,” consists of five actors and there really isn’t anyone else involved. Edgren even designed the sets himself.

“It’s weird to see the things I wrote and spent so much time on being said by other people,” he said. “Seeing them consider and ask the same questions that I would ask of a greater work.”

The play following “Pardon the Pitchfork” was written by Mark Medoff and directed by Matthew Wallace, a senior theatre and psychology double major.

Entitled “Children of a Lesser God,” this play follows the story of a hearing man reliving his relationship with a deaf woman. Wallace explained that he took an American Sign Language class his sophomore year and fell in love with the deaf community.

“I eventually chose to do ‘Children of a Lesser God’ because the show has such a variety of emotions and makes you think about diversity, love, relationships and humanity in such a different way,” Wallace said. “I wanted others to appreciate the beauty that I saw in ASL and the deaf community.”

Upon first impression it appears that the shows share nothing more than a set, however, according to Wallace, both shows explore very complex relationships in ways that most people never think about. While they are two completely separate shows, they are not completely disparate.

“We have worked hard to portray the deaf community in a way that is honest and respectful,” Wallace said. “This is a show you won’t regret coming to see.”

Both plays will be showing in the W.D Powell theatre Thursday-Sunday, “Pardon the Pitchfork” at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday and “Children of a Lesser God” at 8:45 p.m. Saturday and 4:45 p.m.  on Sunday. Tickets are $2 and are for sale outside Brewer dining hall or online.

Article originally appeared on the Cardinal and Cream website.

UnionFIlmFestival2018

Student Films Showcased at Union Film Festival

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After the initial screening and directors talk was held Monday night, the secondary screening and awards ceremony for the Union Film Festival was held on Tuesday at 8 p.m. in Barefoots Joe.

The ceremony was hosted by assistant professor of communication arts Chris Blair and Cam Tracy. There were 17 different award categories that students from all different backgrounds competed for. There were eight films screened in total, six of which were competing for best short-form film, two which were competing for best long-form film and three which were competing for the SAC students’ choice award.

The SAC student’s choice, best short-form and best long-form awards had cash prize awards of $75, $125 and $150 respectively. With the exception of the SAC sponsored category, the awards were decided by Union alumni.

As the winners of the awards were announced, students stood on the stage to speak, or not. Many films won multiple awards, leading several to just shrug their shoulders as they passed the microphone on their way offstage. One director, sophomore digital media communications major Campbell Padgett, who submitted three short films to the festival, swept up 10 of the awards, including best long-form film. However, he was very humble about his winnings.

“I submitted half the films, so just statistically I was bound to get a lot of awards,” Padgett said. “It was pretty weird going up on that stage over and over. It made me look a lot more productive than I actually am.”

“Dirty Laundry” by junior digital media communications major Alex Russel won best short-form film. Not such a clear-cut victory, however, was the SAC students’ choice award, which tied between the films “The Stranger” and “The Runner.” Hosts Blair and Tracy said it was a first for the festival, as they gave awards to both films.

“The film festival is something I wish we had when I was a student,” Blair said. “There are so many things like that – I wish that we had when I was a student, and I’m glad that we have it now.”

The full list of winners is available on the Union events film festival page.

This article originally appeared on the Cardinal and Cream website.