One act plays performed at NMU

Two one-act plays will be performed at Northern Michigan University this week, and one unique thing about the plays is that they are directed by students.

Pierce Huxtable and Jackie Wiles are directing plays as part of their senior capstone project.  They were able to chose any one act play, as long as it was approved by the theater department.

Huxatable is directing ‘How He Lied to Her Husband’, a comedy by George Bernard Shaw, while Wiles is directing ‘Sorry, Wrong Number’, a mystery-drama by Lucille Fletcher.  Both plays are between 20 and 30 minutes long.

Huxtable compared a one act play to running the 400 meter in track:  the play is too long to sprint, but too short for actors to pace themselves.  He said actors have to go “full out” the entire time, and the play is “20 to 30 minutes of an acting sprint”.

The two seniors had about a month to prepare for the plays before performances begin on Wednesday.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. and run through Saturday, April 6 at the Black Box Theatre.  Tickets for both NMU students and the general public are $1.