2008 Woodie Awards
The Short and Winding Road to "Brief Encounters"
Tammy Funicello
Issue date: 9/28/05 Section: Valley Life
- Page 1 of 1
For the last five years, one of the rites of spring at Valley College has been the generation of one-act plays by the Theatre 130 class. In the fall, the theatre department harvests the fruits of the class, like pumpkins, corn, Vietnam veterans and hit men burying bodies.
The department's first performance of the season will be "Brief Encounters," in which the four top plays from the 130 class will be presented at Valley's Horseshoe Theatre in early October.
"These plays are really good for new writers to get a chance to spread their wings," said Shaun Reyes, a performer in "Don't Hang Up." "It also helps the directors improve their skills and keeps the actors busy."
"Edo" by Tom Jasper is about a day in the life of a Japanese fisherman. "Bartabs" by Joseph O'Connell is about the owner of a bar talking about his feelings on the regular customers. "Don't Hang Up" by Terence West is about a Vietnam veteran who comes back to confront a woman who blew him off. "In the Woods" by Ron Rizzo is about two hit men preparing to bury a body when it disappears.
"All of the plays are really different and unique," said Alex Bowerman, a performer in "Edo" and "Bartabs".
The cast of 23 has been working on the shows since early September.
"It has been really stressful since we only had two and a half weeks of rehearsal," said Bowerman. "It has been fun though."
Along with the cast, there are also four different directors on board, two alumni, one student and one professional director from the Ark Theatre Company.
"This is something we have been doing for five years now and it is a cool program for the writers to see their work being performed and for the actors to get to do a play never done before with the writers present," said Parkin.
Brief Encounters
Oct. 5-8 at 8 p.m. in the Horseshoe Theatre. General admission is $10 (Students and seniors $5)
For reservations, please call (818) 947-2790
The department's first performance of the season will be "Brief Encounters," in which the four top plays from the 130 class will be presented at Valley's Horseshoe Theatre in early October.
 Media Credit: Melanie Saldana NIGHT SHIFT - Roger Rodd (R) and J. Alexander perform during a technical rehearsal of the one-act play "The Woods," running Oct. 5 through 8 at Valley´s Horseshoe Theater. |
"These plays are really good for new writers to get a chance to spread their wings," said Shaun Reyes, a performer in "Don't Hang Up." "It also helps the directors improve their skills and keeps the actors busy."
"Edo" by Tom Jasper is about a day in the life of a Japanese fisherman. "Bartabs" by Joseph O'Connell is about the owner of a bar talking about his feelings on the regular customers. "Don't Hang Up" by Terence West is about a Vietnam veteran who comes back to confront a woman who blew him off. "In the Woods" by Ron Rizzo is about two hit men preparing to bury a body when it disappears.
 CAN´T SEE THE BODY FOR THE TREES - Roger Rodd and J. Alexander rehearse the original one-act play, "In the Woods." |
"All of the plays are really different and unique," said Alex Bowerman, a performer in "Edo" and "Bartabs".
The cast of 23 has been working on the shows since early September.
"It has been really stressful since we only had two and a half weeks of rehearsal," said Bowerman. "It has been fun though."
Along with the cast, there are also four different directors on board, two alumni, one student and one professional director from the Ark Theatre Company.
"This is something we have been doing for five years now and it is a cool program for the writers to see their work being performed and for the actors to get to do a play never done before with the writers present," said Parkin.
Brief Encounters
Oct. 5-8 at 8 p.m. in the Horseshoe Theatre. General admission is $10 (Students and seniors $5)
For reservations, please call (818) 947-2790
