January 30, 2007
ASU’s first Theatre Festival features plays written, directed, and acted by students
Augusta, GA – A dedicated math scholar and starving artist are challenged by their friends to explore a life and world outside of their comfort zones in You Dropped This, the play that will kick off Augusta State University’s first three-day Theatre Festival on Thursday, Feb. 8, in the Grover C. Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre. Called A Festival of Plays, it features ten-minute plays mostly written, directed, and performed by ASU students and faculty and will be performed nightly at 8 p.m. through Saturday, Feb. 10 in the Maxwell Theatre.
Below is a list of plays in the order they will appear, beginning with the second:
· Cultural Deprivation – A male professor invites one of his female students out for a drink to discuss how she might be able to improve her grade in his class.
· Sugar Cakes – A mother is desperate for a night away from her family and struggles to maintain order and get out the door.
· Anything for You – Two married women meet for lunch and during the meal, one reveals her desire to have an affair.
· A Kiss Always Means Something – Two co-workers are trapped in a basement storeroom together overnight. Unable to avoid each other, they both learn something about the other and themselves.
· Behind Closed Door – Doing the right thing for the wrong reason? The wrong thing for the right reason? Lies and deceit run amok in this story of twisted relationships and questionable ethics.
· Once Upon a Preliminary Hearing – Chief prosecutor Grimm brings jaw-dropping indictments against your favorite fairytale characters.
Highlighting the festival will be a keynote speech by professional actress Freda Scott Giles, a specialist in African-American theatre, directing, and acting and associate professor of theatre in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies at the University of Georgia. Dr. Giles will present Some Thoughts on Theatre in the 21st Century at 5 p.m. on Saturday at ASU’s Jaguar Student Activities Center Coffeehouse.
A member of the Actors Equity Association, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the Screen Actors Guild, Dr. Giles has performed numerous roles off-Broadway as well as in film, television, and radio. She has published a number of articles on various elements of African-American theatre and drama particularly relating to the Harlem Renaissance period. Dr. Giles earned a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Albany, a master's degree from Columbia University, and a doctoral degree from the City University of New York.
Talkback sessions will follow each performance, and Dr. Giles will participate. General admission tickets for A Festival of Plays are $5 each night. ASU faculty, staff, and students are admitted free with a valid ASU ID. Dr. Giles’ presentation is free to everyone. For more information about the Theatre Festival, contact Shelly Ford, coordinator of the Theatre Festival and assistant professor in the Department of Communications and Professional Writing, at 706-729-2416.
January 2007 | February 2007