GREENEVILLE – Student-written plays will take center stage at Tusculum University during the upcoming Old Oak Festival when the Behan Arena Theatre plays host to a series of short performances that will allow the audience to experience multiple genres in the same event.
The “5 X 10 Plays” have entertained audiences every other year while demonstrating the creativity and talent of student playwrights. These budding artists team with directors from the Tusculum faculty and staff to create impressive performances that have been extremely popular with attendees.
Three of the writers for the “5 X 10 Plays” are, left to right, David Presley, Jenna Lea Hutchinson and Zach Gass.
The event, a partnership between Theatre-at-Tusculum and the English program, consists of five plays that last 10 minutes each. Show times are:
- Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m. (pre-festival)
- Friday, April 12, at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, April 13, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Sunday, April 14, at 2 p.m.
“Our students have dedicated considerable energy in drafting their wonderful and diverse scripts, and our directors have used their insights and experience to bring these plays to life on the stage in a way that will please our guests,” said Marilyn DuBrisk, Tusculum’s artist-in-residence. “It’s a pleasure for us to present these plays, which we hope will propel our students to further advance their skills as writers in whatever direction their careers follow.”
The plays are:
- “Hindenburger,” a satire written by River Donnelly and directed by Frank Mengel
- “Did You See Him?,” a mystery written by Zach Gass and directed by Dr. Paul Pinckley
- “Wait, Whose Line Is It?,” a comedy written by Jenna Lea Hutchinson and directed by duBrisk
- “Egg Timer,” a drama written by David Presley and directed by Wayne Thomas
- “The Six Dollar Man,” a comedy written by Presley and directed by Erin Schultz
Donnelly, Hutchinson and Presley are Tusculum students majoring in English, while Gass is an alumnus who earned his degree in that field. All of them took script writing at the university.
Hutchinson, a junior, is pursuing a career as a middle school or high school English teacher and said her first love is writing. In fact, she is writing a fantasy-fiction novel called “Star Hunter,” which features angels, demons and warriors. She recently won an award in the fiction category in the yearly Curtis Owens campus writing competition that honors writing for multiple genres. While teaching will be her full-time job, she plans to continue writing on the side.
She is thrilled her script was chosen for this year’s edition of the “5 X 10 Plays.”
“It means everything to me,” Hutchinson said. “I’m still on cloud nine that the first script I ever wrote has been selected. My play has been well-received, and everyone who tried out for parts in the plays showed an interest in a role in mine. I’m so happy people are enjoying it. It gives me a sense of confidence as a writer, knowing that I could write screenplays and stage plays if I so desired.”
The “5 X 10 Plays” will feature 30 cast and crew members as well as the directors. Of the 16 actors, half will be Tusculum students while the remainder will come from the community.
The intimate Behan Theatre is located on the lower level of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $10 apiece, and all seats are general admission. Payment is by cash or check.
To reserve a seat or for more information, please contact Jennifer Hollowell, arts outreach coordinator, at 423-798-1620 or jhollowell@tusculum.edu.
Theatre-at-Tusculum is under the auspices of Tusculum Arts Outreach, which is supported in part by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission, Hearts for the Arts, and many generous donors. For more information about this production or other programs, please contact the TUAO office at 423-798-1620 or visit arts.tusculum.edu or Facebook: Tusculum University Arts Outreach.