Each spring, after the chaos and rush of Children’s Theatre has died down, the student members of MCCTA (Marist College Club of Theatre Arts) sit down at their laptops and let their creativity flow. That’s right, Festival is back! Each fall, students can submit a one-act play for consideration to be produced in the spring semester. There are several limits put on the piece including time, number of actors, number of props, and number of set pieces. A judge chooses the five best plays and these plays are performed for Marist students and faculty. A panel of judges then reviews these performances and the writer of the winning play receives a scholarship. What makes Festival unique is that it is entirely student driven.
“I like how Festival is entirely student run,” says Mike Parisi, who has been a part of Festival for the last two years. “It lets students have all the options to be involved in the entire production process, from writing to performing to casting.”
Dan Smith, writer of Play by Play had similar feelings. “Festival allows students a lot more autonomy and agency than some of the other productions,” says Dan. “We experiment with some facets of theatre that we often aren’t exposed to.”
As an actor in one of the Festival shows this year, I can say that the rehearsal environment is a lot more relaxed than a full-length production. Festival allows for a lot more experimentation than a normal show would. This year, Festival will take place on April 22nd and 23rd in the Black Box Theatre (Fontaine 101). It’s sure to be a wonderful experience for the cast, production team, and of course, the audience!
Photo credit: Skyler Van Valkenburgh