New play lights up the stage

    New plays are the root of theatre. Without them, theatre would not exist. The GCSU theatre department, along with the English department, is seeing to it that new plays have a chance to thrive through the Pillars New Play Festival .
    The festival was started by the former chair of the theatre department Kathleen McGeever. It will feature the winner of the Pillars Playwriting Prize, the 2008 Arts & Letters Prize One-Act play, and the 24 Hour Plays.
    The first will be the production of the winner of the Pillars Playwriting Prize. The winning play was selected from a number of entries. The contest was advertised through the Dramatists Guild and  Theatre Communication Group throughout the United States.
    David Muschell, professor of English, assisted McGeever with this project.
    “By the beginning of the (2006-2007) school year, plays began to arrive from all over the country. Playwright graduate students in the MFA in Creative Writing program began to give them a first reading and rating,” Muschell said.
    “When they finished, around guary of 2007, I began giving them a second read-through. After, I finished, I sent the top ten plays to Kathleen for her and the theatre department to make the final selection.”
    The play chosen was “Coyote Point” written by Daniel Edmiston of Idaho. Edmiston was in residence at GCSU in January where he heard readings of his play and received feedback. He will be back to see his play performed in its entirety when it premiers in Russell Auditorium.
    “This is my first time outside of my area and theatre community. I’ve loved the experience. I think I have grown a lot. I feel more confident in my writing,” Edmiston said. “And it is always great to get out and see a different part of the world.”
    Edmiston’s play is about a modern day American Indian man who has returned to his reservation after having been away for 20 years. He is faced with the decision to help his tribe or to protect his family’s name.
    Eddie Swimmer, a world famous American Indian Hoop Dancer, visited the campus and helped the cast with cultural background. Brian Lunsford was cast as the male lead, Russell. He was able to listen and learn about his character based on what Swimmer taught.
    “I asked how a person would be received by their people after having left the reservation,” Lunsford said.
    “(Swimmer) compared it to an apple – even though they are red on the outside, they would always be white on the inside.”
    This is a huge theme in “Coyote Point” showing that Edmiston did his research. They subject matter, though, could be relevant to any culture.
    “As I flushed out the story in my mind, I got stuck on the guy caught between tradition and progress,” Edminson said. “It is a unique place for not only one guy, but for an entire society and culture.”
    “Coyote Point” is running from Feb. 27 to March 1 at 8:00 p.m. and March 2 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are available in Porter Hall for $4 for GCSU students. They will also be available at the door, but seating is very limited so it is recommended to buy tickets before hand.
    “It is a well-written show,” said the show’s stage manager and assistant director Addison Walden. “I hope the people who come see it will walk away with some knowledge of Native American people, their culture, and what they face.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 22 2008. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry