This week the 13th Annual Maria Legere Student Play Festival comes to the Memorial Union's Fredric March Play Circle. The Play Festival, which was started in 1992 by Todd Bachman, is a competition that gives UW Madison playwrights the opportunity to have their work produced and performed. The competition was stiff this year with a record-breaking 16 play submissions and over 50 students turned out to audition.This year's winning submissions were three very diverse pieces.They include two dramas and a comedy, and deal with topics like starvation, relationships and what to do with a severed head.
For most of the writers, Tuesday's performance will be their first time seeing the casts' and directors' interpretation of their work, with the exception of Blair Chavis, who both wrote and co-directed \The Hunger Artist,"" which is an original adaptation of a short story by Franz Kafka. This drama, narrated by its main character, who makes an art out of starvation, is both compelling and shocking. The stark sets and prop's only lend itself to the mood of longing and despair that ""The Hunger Artist"" creates.Actor Rob O'Brien's haunting monologues about his life as a ""starvation artist"" are chilling and unforgettable. He literally throws himself into the dialogue, creating a stirring performance you can't take your eyes off of. Also shining in this piece is UW-Madison sophomore Kelly Venn's portrayal of the ruthless Impresario. She lends a comedic charm to this rather unlikable character.This was something Chavis did not expect when she also signed on to co-direct, she said. ""Working with the actors was great, it discovered humor in the script that I hadn't seen before.""
The second piece, a relatable modern-day drama titled ""In Somebody's Company""features three actresses portraying women in different stages of their lives: the love-struck 15-year-old, the twenty-something newlywed, and the divorce, single mother in her thirties. ""In Somebody's Company"" performers are as relatable as its story is. The honest dialogue about sex, love and the journey to fill the void inside all of us is refreshing and smart.The high- school-age Victoria, played by Christina Thuli, is hilarious reading ""Teen magazine"" and rambling about her undying love for Ben Affleck.But, at the same time, she is tragic as she speaks about losing her virginity and dealing with an older boyfriend.The writer of this play, UW-Madison junior Emily Okolowicz said she was trying to convey the message that ""You are not alone in your turmoil."" The shared experiences of these three women make each of their individual crises that much more poignant.
The third and final one-act play follows the comedic mishappenings of its title characters. ""Mike and Sam,"" written by Jeff Landow and Alain Pierre, tells the story of two unsuccessful and financially troubled playwrights who are trying to sell their latest work. The plot takes a twist as Mike inherits a rather infamous severed head from his dead grandfather. The witty sarcastic banter between actors Brendan Younger (Mike) and Adam Heidke (Sam) is hilarious. Their ""classic comedy"" pairing of the uptight responsible guy and his head-in-the-clouds, screwball buddy is wonderful. Also particularly enjoyable in this piece are Rob O'Brien and Matt Wood's bumbling, New Jersey accented portrayal of gangsters Jeff and Tony.This snappy comedy is a nice finish to the emotionally charged plays that precede it.
All in all, this year's Student Play Festival is thoroughly enjoyable. While the performances by the actors and actresses are outstanding what really shines through is the talent and creativity of its playwrights.
