Released: March 7, 2012
Lincoln, Neb. - Theatrix, the student-operated theatre organization under the auspices of the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film, continues its 2011-2012 "Season of Fire" with a show consisting of five world premiers plays, The New Artist's Festival.
The New Artist's Festival is a collection of five short plays written by local students at the University of Nebraska. Each playwright was giving the challenge of writing a short play that could be tied in with the theme of "fire," find a way to use an oil lamp as a significant prop within the show, and could work in a small theatrical space.
The five shows will work together and be presented together as a whole show. The short plays being presented as part of The New Artist's Festival are:
- "In the Name of Fire" by theater performance senior Cathrine Dvorak
- "Short Stories, Short Scenes" by theater performance senior Nate Ruleaux
- "Mama Boy" by theater performance and directing/management senior Patrick Zatloukal
- "An Original Cliché " by theater performance and directing/management senior Emily Martinez
- "Nobody Puts Debbie in a Corner" by junior math and Russian major Corbin Groothuis
Theatrix has chosen five students within the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film to direct each short play. Directors include:
- First year directing graduate student Dennis Henry
- Senior Emily Martinez
- Junior Brittanie Witter
- Junior Billy Jones
- Sophomore Maggie Austin
The scenic design of new-comer Travis Jensen coupled with the lighting design by experienced technical theater junior Michael Fortkamp establish five different worlds of each play with ease. Junior film major Ryan Hammack's sound design enhances the mood of the play and creates an ambience that brings the audience into the world of each distinct play. Costume design by senior theater performance major Jessie Tidball emphasizes the class and status of the characters in the show. Alma Cerretta, the properties master for the production, shows great attention to detail and brings an extra magical spark to the shows with special electrical lighting. Projections and media design by junior film major Justin Richards incorporate multimedia that is essential to each play in The New Artist Festival. Technical director, junior technical theater major Christopher Stepank, supervises the entire operation with ease. Together, this technical team transports you from a chair in the theatre into five different and very distinct worlds.
The New Artist's Festival will run March 8 through March 10 at 7:30pm, with a matinee performance on March 11 at 2:00pm pm in the Lab Theatre, located on the 3rd floor of the Temple Building, 12th and R streets in Lincoln, Nebraska. This show is for mature audiences only.
Individual show tickets are $6 via credit card (some user fees may be applied) at unltheatretickets.com or at the door the evening of the events (subject to availability).