In “New Works, New Voices,” UP Theater takes on a daunting task: A production that is entirely written by students.
On Oct. 1, the program kicked off one of its most anticipated shows of the fall season, which ran from Oct. 1 to Oct. 5 in the Mago Hunt Center Theater. Much of what happens in “New Works, New Voices” is derived from real events that took place at UP, according to performing and fine arts professor Andy Christensen, who directed the play.
The play operates like a wheel. The audience is put into four groups depending on the color of their nametag given upon entry. The groups are then led to different locations outside Mago Hunt and immediately thrust into scenes led by cast members. Each scene lasts for exactly seven and a half minutes, then transitions directly into a new location, led by another cast member, who tells a different story.
As I took my seat on opening night, I had little idea of how the evening would unfold — other than it being a traveling show across campus.
“New Works, New Voices” begins with a fire. The stage was empty and dark, lit only by the red glow of flames coming from upstage. A voice came over the loudspeakers and called for an evacuation: The Mago Hunt Theater was burning.
The scene refers to a fire in Mago Hunt six years ago that caused the theater program to relocate rehearsals and performances to the Blair Studio Theater in the Mehling Hall basement.
The audience was ushered out of the building, as other purple-nametag-wearers and I were led to the Otto Memorial outside of Franz Hall.
Sitting at the memorial was an anxious freshman, played by first-year Olive Huxley, who feared not making friends and not knowing what she wanted to do with her life. The performance was an emotional portrayal of a relatable part of college life. After all, it's scary to leave home for a strange new place with strange new faces.
The group rounded the back corner of Mago Hunt, and our crying first-year companion ran off into the night. We stood in silence before a new voice called out from over by the dumpsters — it was senior Shane Ruyle.
Ruyle’s character was not a student, but a warehouse. A “grungy graffiti funhouse” that was demolished in 2012 and replaced with what Pilots now know as River Campus.
He asked the audience questions about legacy, like “What will people remember me for?” and handed us dry-erase markers, inviting us to draw graffiti on nearby whiteboards.
One scene led into the next as we traveled across campus, from Mago Hunt to Franz Hall before returning to the theater. There were three more solo acts, including a fraternity brother played by sophomore Kayla Matsuoka, a school dance decorator played by sophomore Annalie Nachreiner and a student-government lobbyist played by junior Aly Romero.
Back inside the theater, photos of previous Beacon articles lit up the walls as voices told stories of the university’s past. The stories were the same as those performed by the actors — ultimately revealing that the prior acts were inspired by true events.
Then the lights turned off. The audience was silent for what felt like minutes as everyone slowly realized the play had ended.
I am not sure what to think of the play. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did I understand it? Not entirely.
“New Works, New Voices” is ambitious in its production and scale, but the storytelling is fragmented and short. Maybe that was the point, or maybe I missed something. Still, the play is an impressive showcase of the creativity and talent that UP Theater is known for.
Brady McCracken is a reporter for The Beacon. He can be reached at mccracke27@up.edu
