McDaniel Students Direct and Perform During Play Festival Beginning, 2/23

McDaniel College theatre arts students direct and perform eight one-act plays during "The Museum of Living Art: Student-Directed Play Festival" at the college.

Performances are Wednesday, Feb. 28-Saturday, March 3, 7:30 p.m., in WMC Alumni Hall at McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster, Md. Note: the production contains adult language and themes.

Bryan Bowen, a senior at McDaniel from North Beach, Md., directs four plays, which are all comedies, written by David Ives. In "The Sure Thing," a chance meeting of Betty and Bill is continually reset by the sound of a ringing bell; "Variations on the Death of Trotsky" fictionalizes the death of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky; "English Made Simple" depicts a young man and woman whose immediate romantic attraction is translated into comically unromantic grammar lessons; and "The Other Woman" centers on sexual obsession within a marriage, as Thomas's sleepwalking wife, Emma, becomes his mistress without knowing it.

About the plays he is directing, Bowen said, "David Ives is a master of comedy. His short plays are witty, thought-provoking, and incredibly entertaining. I wanted to stitch together a few of his pieces with a common theme and create an event, rather than a show. When the four come together, we have an experience, not just a performance. I'm wonderfully excited to share my rather eccentric vision with everyone involved."

Brandon Richards, a senior at McDaniel from Huntingtown, Md., directs four plays that make up the "Trepidation Nation" collection. In "Down to Sleep," distant sisters Anne and Ellen confront the reason why neither of them can sleep the night before their father's funeral; "I Am Not Alone" finds suicidal Justin interrupted by the appearance of a hapless pizza deliveryman on a tight schedule; in "Euxious, a Hollywood producer is terrified of picking up her cell phone after surviving a bloody car crash; and in "Yes," a man strives to turn his fear into love through flowers and public disrobing.

"The concept of the 'Trepidation Nation' plays really drew me in," said Richards. "I enjoyed the fact that 'Trepidation Nation' started as a writing prompt surrounding the idea of phobias. The different ways and directions that the playwrights took are truly fascinating. Some took their given phobias literally, while others took it in a more metaphorical sense. I am excited to explore these different approaches, with my own twist."

The casts also feature McDaniel students, including seniors Torreke Evans of Atlanta, Andrew Frascella of Olney, Md., Colin Goodwin of Derwood, Md., and Megan Smith of Federalsburg, Md.; juniors Ben Michaels of Lakeville, Minn., Chris Spahn of Boyds, Md., and Jen Willard of North Potomac, Md.; sophomores Colleen Clark of Highland, Md., Ethan Cortes of Sykesville, Md., Trevor Haupt of Abingdon, Md., Kendall Harnsberger of Baltimore, Kevin Tyson, Jr., of Baltimore, and Patsy Zetkulic of Arlington, Va.; and freshmen Mikayla Braswell of Germantown, Md., Meghan Callis of Damascus, Md., Karly Congero of Lavallette, N.J., Alaina Dupree of Baltimore, Imani Jackson of Arbutus, Md., Anna Odell of Abingdon, Md., and Matthew Ulrick of Owings, Md.

No tickets are required. Call 410-857-2448 for more information. Visit www.mcdaniel.edu/theatre for more information about McDaniel College and the theatre arts department.