UCM Theatre and Dance Announces New Play Festival

University of Central Missouri (UCM) Theatre and Dance and Central Missouri Playwrights will present the New Play Festival at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31, Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 2 and Nov. 3 in the Black Box Theatre at Nickerson Hall on the UCM campus. 

The New Play Festival will present new works written by UCM students ranging from 10-minute and one-act plays to full-length plays, with different shows performing each night. Tickets are free for UCM students, military members, veterans and military families with a valid ID at the door. The Nov. 3 matinee is a Pay-What-You-Can performance. Admission to all other showings of the New Play Festival is $5 for all other patrons. ASL interpreters will be provided at the Nov. 2 evening show.

The festival kicks off Thursday night, Oct. 31 with a presentation of a full-length play, “20 Til’,” by student Grace Clark and directed by Dr. Aaron Scully.

Friday night, Nov. 1 will be a presentation of various 10-minute plays written and directed by UCM students, including “Slow Train Through Sassoon” by Roger Coleman and directed by Scully, “Don’t Mind The Reaper” by Jesse Moore and directed by Clark, “The Pantheon” by Jake Collins and directed by Raegan Weber, “Snowballing” by Payton Lawrence and directed by Moore, “Lesser” by Lilyanne Mitchell and directed by Collins, “A Side of Gin” by Clark and directed by Sophie Conover, and “When One Door Closes ….” by Megan Weaver and directed by Clark.

The full-length play “Lovejoy” by Stephanie Heathcock and directed by Conover will be performed at the Saturday, Nov. 2 matinee performance.

Saturday night will be a presentation of 10-minute and one-act plays consisting of “A Portrait Tailored for Two” by Clark and directed by Collins, “Borz” by John Plasencio and directed by Weber, “Goodbye Dewey” by Quinn Allen and directed by Collins, and “The Devil Came to Arkansas” by Plasencio and directed by Moore. 

A presentation of one-act plays will round out the festival Sunday afternoon, Nov. 3: “Ruining the Roses” by Avory Nail and directed by Lawrence, “Mattie” by Nail and directed by Clark, and “The Unspoken Rule” by Clark and directed by Do Hyun Kim and Scully.

The audience is invited to stay for a talkback at the conclusion of each performance. 

“New Play Festivals are always very exciting, especially when they are plays from students. We get to hear the voices of the future of the stage, their ideas and concerns, and the subjects they want to explore,” Artistic Director Scully said. “The simplicity of the presentation of the plays allows all involved to focus on the words of the play. Then, the hope is that the audience will stay after and provide feedback to the playwright so they can further develop their play.” 

The production team for the New Play Festival includes Artistic Director Scully, Production Manager Clark and Directors Clark, Collins, Conover, Kim, Lawrence, Moore, Scully and Weber.

Actors featured in the New Play Festival include Kayla Addison, Jeremiah Ayres, Ayden Christensen, Clark, Collins, Conover, Nathalia Cordero, Danny Gage, Dylan Hertzler, Finn Juliano, Madison Keep, Cal Klaus, Lawrence, Alli Livingston, Moore, Hannah Rodriguez-Nemeth, Emma Stevens, Alannah Trigg, Karlee Troutt, Kaia Trujillo, Alea Ware, Allie Whitbey, Weber and Cami Wieberg.

Seating is limited for this production and it is first come, first served. Tickets are available at the UCM Theatre and Dance Office in Martin 113 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, at the door or at ucmboxoffice.universitytickets.com.  

For more information, please contact Scully at ascully@ucmo.edu, call the UCM Theatre and Dance Office at 660-543-4020 or visit facebook.com/UCMTheatreandDance.