Today@Sam Article
Student-Directed Theatre Series Continues On Alternating Nights
April 13, 2021
SHSU Media Contact: Wes Hamilton
Story by Laura Avery
The Sam Houston State University College of Arts & Media is proud to produce a series of student directed shows as part of their main season. The Directors’ Debut Series is a barebones approach to theatre which allows the student to hone their directing skills by telling the story as set down by the playwright through analysis and character creation with actors.
Though minimally supported in the area of technical theatre and design, these productions are beautiful, imaginative and powerful.
“The series gives students with strong potential as directors the opportunity to find their voice and build their aesthetic as artists,” said Patrick Pearson, assistant professor of theatre. “Especially given the restrictions COVID-19 has placed upon productions this season, these talented student directors have met and exceeded every challenge thrown their way, exploring plays that deal with love, loss, potential, and the overall human condition.”
The second of this spring’s Directors’ Debut Series will be presented via live streaming. Performances run April 13-17 with 7:30 p.m. showings each evening as well as a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee option.
Production details
If the science at the center of Nick Payne’s smart and sentimental play is right, then there’s a parallel universe in which Sam Houston Theatre never produced the play, senior musical theatre major, Emmy Carys, never directed it, and Payne never wrote it. Good thing, for us, that we’re in this particular cosmos. This spellbinding, romantic journey begins with a simple encounter between two people. But what happens next defies the boundaries of the world we think we know – delving into the infinite possibilities of their relationship and raising questions about the difference between choice and destiny. "Constellations" is a play about free will and friendship; it's also about quantum multiverse theory. Who knew that higher physics could be so accessible—and so emotionally devastating? In its extreme formulation, everything that can happen does happen. Everywhere. At the same time. Constellations are, after all, only patterns our eyes make in our mind, not actualities.
In both structure and content, Caridad Svich’s script, "Town Hall," overtly acknowledges that, in both the world of the characters and the world of the audience, we must admit to our togetherness. We must turn towards each other and listen in order to keep moving forward. "Town Hall" tackles so many urgent questions about our relationship to our environment, to other humans, and to democracy. It focuses on four people living in the near future, in a world different from but very similar to ours. Gathered in a plain room, four characters search themselves and guide us in dreaming. They offer us brutally honest conversation, memories of joy, secrets of shame, and challenging questions to reimagine how we behave in the theatre and the world. Do we have any belief left in us to imagine a brighter future? Can we begin to form a plan for a better world? "Town Hall" questions how we are “us” and how we can move forward after all that has happened. The production is directed by senior musical theatre major, Laurel Burrer.
Tickets for the online stream are $12 in advance, $15 on or after opening night. Online streaming requires a high-speed internet connection and a modern web browser. Stream is a live feed only; ticket purchase does not provide on demand access. Please visit http://www.shsutickets.com for details on either viewing option as well as our updated FAQ page. For ticketing questions, please email the box office at tickets@shsu.edu or call us at 936-294-2339. Streaming platform hosted by www.ShowTix4U.com.
Photo credits: Danny Moore
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