There is a certain stigma associated with student theater. Undergraduate theater is too experimental, they say, too abstract and inaccessible. At worst, it's poorly written, awkwardly acted and pretentious.
Sure, JHU Theater's New Play Festival was experimental in many ways, often very abstract and, OK, a little pretentious at times. However, the writing was creative and clear and the acting, convincing. JHUT succeeded where other experimental student theater fails: It kept the audience entertained and engaged.
First up for the night was "Freaky Observers," written by senior Sal Gentile and directed by senior Jackie Jennings. The play revolved around the concept of Boltzmann brains, an abstract philosophical concept that argues that the conditions required to create billions of conscious minds (the human race) are much less likely to occur than those that would make one randomly. That is, order would arise in our highly entropic universe once in an epoch, enough to form a self-aware, free-floating "brain." This brain could have memories, emotions, etc., all formed randomly.
The explanation given in the play was similar, if a bit more interestingly presented, but it might have left some of the less abstraction-minded grasping. The play focused on the meeting of two of these minds and the obvious confusion that arose. "Where am I?" asks the first, played by junior Mike Wills. "Nowhere," replies the second (junior Raphael Krut-Landau), and he is being absolutely truthful. Their reality is an illusion, and the second brain helps the first come to terms with their ethereal, transient existence.
The play certainly elicited some head-scratching, but for those even vaguely familiar with problems of consciousness, it presented a classic problem in a novel way. Instead of focusing on the problem of these brains' very existence, we saw it from the perspective of those who would view it as an even greater problem: the brains themselves.
Next up was "Explode!" written by Jackie Jennings and directed by Sal Gentile. This play focused on the strained relationship between Miriam (senior Sam Engel) and Dave (sophomore Kempton Baldridge), who live directly underneath a volcano. Miriam is suffering greatly under the strain is paranoid about the volcano, and is unable to sleep. The couple argues back and forth, exactly mimicking the absurdity of the arguments of real-life long-term couples. While it did not have a terribly complicated plot, the play was layered enough to maintain interest.
Third on the playbill was "The Long Exposure." While a certain degree of abstraction and symbolism is expected in these plays, this one, written by sophomore Chris Chuang and directed by Chuang and Mike Wills, pushed the limits. The story focused on Charlie's (sophomore Eric Kalman Levitz) quest to understand his father. Both Charlie and his father are alcoholics, a fact which ends up dominating their lives. Charlie's sister, Julie, played by junior Esther Bell, tries to help her brother but eventually turns him away at her doorstep. There is a cutscene involving artistic photographer Dawn (junior Brittany Matava), who is experimenting with long exposures and LEDs. Charlie happens upon her, and eventually he is allowed to try an exposure.
Unfortunately, the meaning here was unclear. Between this cutscene and the previous scene, the audience, confused, clapped as if the play were ending, as there was no clear cue as to the direction of the play. While well-acted and clearly rich with imagery, the story couldn't truly be resolved by the end.
"Individual Ownership," written by senior Liz Eldridge and directed by junior Christen Cromwell, was performed entirely by senior Margaret Deli. In the play, Suzee visits her doctor/friend (played by a mannequin) to request a tubal ligation (that is, to get her "tubes tied"). A victim of domestic violence, Suzee does not want to bring a child into her home. But she needs the attention her husband gives her and cannot imagine having her husband's attention diverted to anyone else.
Deli did an excellent job portraying such a complicated character. While we might feel revulsion for such a life, we feel empathy for her thanks to a well-paced script and Deli's powerful performance.
Senior Joseph Micali's "Document1" was an exercise in experimental anti-monologue. Written and starred in by Micali and directed by Chris Chuang, the monologue moved from topic to topic, with Micali ranting, singing and leaping. Micali clearly did not intend for it to be terribly deep, but it was very entertaining. In a show that culminated with Micali running outside screaming, we found the most memorable act of the night, though not the most thought-provoking.
"The Chair" was written by junior Oleg Shik and directed by Joseph Micali. The play revolved around the final stages in the relationship between Doyle (sophomore Jack Berger) and Terry (sophomore David Santare). The titular chair had stated symbolic meaning for the relationship. Doyle wanted Terry to keep the chair after the breakup, else he be reminded of Terry's massages and forced to relive his loss. While well-acted and convincing, the story was a bit predictable. The novel factor of a gay couple only took it so far. Regardless, it was entertaining and certainly not a subpar play.
Finally, JHUT presented the winner of the American College Theatre Festival Region II 10-Minute Play contest, "Without Parachutes." Written and directed by Eric Levitz, we meet Charlie and Carrie (juniors Scott Morse and Brittany Matava) as they experience a plane crash. To escape the terror of their imminent deaths, they recreate the first time Carrie invited Charlie to her apartment, but their flashback is constantly interrupted by the realities their present situation. One can't argue with the American College Theater Festival: This play was a winner. The parallel of the the plane crash and the "crash" of falling in love were apparent but not forced. The play presented an interesting, novel idea in a logical way.
The festival gave undergraduates a creative outlet, and fortunately, it also gave the audience a fantastic night at the theater.
