A collection of five one-act plays, “Stages of Love,” will be showcased as a part of the BG Newcomers show this weekend. “Stages of Love” combines separate plays revolving around the universal theme of love.
Five plays are combined to transition from a very young couple falling in love, to marriage, to an old married couple. “The Red Coat,” “Sure Thing,” “Ferris Wheel,” “Here We Are,” and “A Couple of Hamburgers” are one-act plays that only last from eight to 15 minutes.
Vanessa Baker is a graduate student studying theater. Baker directed the final on-act play, “A Couple of Hamburgers,” based on a James Thurber script. The short play is the most developed of the five performances because it showcases a couple who have been married a long time and are no longer courting.
“Each of the five scenes have a very different tone, hopefully most people in the audience will relate to at least one of them in terms of their own experience,” Baker said.
Stage Manager Caitlin Skass, who is a senior studying theater and history, has worked for two months on the show with the cast of 30 actors, five production assistants, a costume crew and others.
“I think [the performance] is something that is very appealing to a wide variety of audiences. It’s family friendly in that you’ve got a variety of content that really capture all aspects of love,” Skass said.
In between the plays, there will be musical numbers from popular Broadway plays that support and accent the different themes of love.
“Seasons of Love” from the Broadway play “Rent,” “Lovesong” from “Pippin,” “Cellblock Tango” from “Chicago,” “Without Love” from “Hairspray,” and “They Say It’s Wonderful” from the show “Annie Get Your Gun” will be performed.
Laurence Dutt, musical director, said the musical numbers and the plays go hand in hand in creating the mood of the performance.
“I worked closely with the producer, we were working out particular songs that would have meaning with the one-act plays. We wanted to have songs that would express different ideas from the plays yet would provide a nice transition from play to play. We wanted to have a way for cohesiveness for the evening,” Dutt said.
The songs, performed by duets and ensembles, allow music and theater students a chance to showcase their talent. This weekend marks the first time there has been a collaboration between the Theater and Film Department, the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Musical Arts.
“It’s an evening of song and dance and acting,” said Anthony Horne, who is the production coordinator for the performance. “Everything that was selected is around the theme of love or some stage of a relationship, so that there is a thematic link between the songs and dances in the plays themselves. Each one was meant to highlight a different aspect of a love relationship.”
The newcomers show is a special performance put on by young theater majors and first-time students to the University. It gives the Theater department a chance to showcase young talent.
Horne, who also works as an assistant professor at the University, said the newcomers show is a great way for parents to see just what their first-year college students are capable of.
“A lot of parents want to see what the University is doing. What are the students at the University doing with their time and how are they sharing those talents? I think parents want to see what students can do,” Horne said, adding that the show also gives prospective students a taste of the opportunities for Theater majors at BGSU.
The entire performance, complete with dance and musical numbers in between the pieces, is only one hour and 15 minutes long. According to Horne, the performance is short enough to allow actors to spend time with their families after the show is over.
“It gives them time to eat dinner, go to a quick show, and go out and do other activities with their sons and daughters,” Horne said.
The show’s three performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. in Bryan Recital Hall. Tickets can be purchased by calling the school’s box office at (419)372-8171.
