Andy McNeill

As the semester wraps up, so does the Pioneer Player season with The One Act Festival. The One Act Festival is often the final exam for Theatre 4330, or Directing Class, in which Theatre majors or people interested in directing learn about the fundamentals and tools to direct. They then assist Dr. Ann Farrelly in putting together The One Act Festival. This year, there were 10 students, so there were 10 different plays covering a range of topics in many different styles. From marital disagreements to the politics of coming out as gay, it had a little bit of something for everyone. Dr. Farrelly said, “Teaching the directing class is a thrill for me, and I am very proud of each and every one of my students.” Many of the students in the class echoed this statement when talking about their shows and their time in the class.
From the comedies to the more serious shows, the directors all cared about the shows and the messages they were trying to convey. “I had such a fun time creating the staging for this show and experimenting with the characters,” Anna Fassbinder, who is a senior Theatre major and director of the comedy “Bite Me,” said. This excitement to create and experiment is seen in all the shows. “This show and my actors have taught me so much and I will be forever grateful for them,” Amber Bornheimer, a junior Theatre and Forensic Investigation major and director of “Jars,” said.
Dr. Farrelly and all the directors would like to thank Jamie Wodack, Josh Lawyer and Sparky McLectrix for their work on the lighting design, Leila Kruel for their stage management, Aurora Schmid for their work on crew and the help of Jeffrey Strange and Sarah Strange with set and costumes.