Generic Theater Shows Off Fresh New Talent

By Shoshana Cohen

This semester’s theater programing continued over the weekend with Generic Theater Company’s   Freshman Showcase. GW’s newest talent put on six short plays that had something for everyone. 

“It was absolutely fantastic. Every scene wowed me and the dramatic scenes left me with chills,” said CCAS freshman, Richard Schiavone. 

The night started off with a bang with Surprise, a short play about the final date between Whitney and  her psych boyfriend Peter. The show was directed by Evie Smith and Samantha Gordon and offered the audience an abundance of hilarious moments where having a psychic ability was not the best situation. 

Next up was Closer, directed by Hanna Feintuch, a thought provoking tale about a stripper and her client who had some history between them. This play gave some variety and the cast did a great job portraying some whimsical characters. 

The last show before intermission was Zoo Story, a classic and wide know play. However, Generic  would not simply preform the norm. Instead of the traditional portrayal with the main characters being male, Generic took the opposite route and made them both female, offering the story new depth. 

After intermission another short play showed off the diverse talent of the freshman class. Smoke Scenes, directed by Natalie Petruch, was unique because it managed to tackle 51 short scenes about smoking in 10 minutes. The show was riddled with jokes and puns and kept the audience waiting for the next scene. 

Petruch was impressed with her cast. “It’s really incredible, they’re just amazing actresses,” she said. 

Next in the line-up was The Runner Stumbles, directed by Clay Miller. This show was full of twists and turns and covered the story of Rita, a nun having an affair with a priest and struggling with her religion. 

Rita was played by Jessica Lewis, a freshman is CCAS, who loved the opportunity Freshman Showcase gave her. 

“Meeting all these kids from Generic and just having the experience was incredible,” said Lewis.

The last show of the night was so wacky that it was possible—even likely—to get lost. Art Control, directed by Phil Anderson, was about a date where Donna, played by Diana Vanderbel, is waiting on some vinaigrette for her salad. What seemed mundane quickly took a turn for a crazy ride. There were characters from other performances showing up, a Mexican standoff, and even audience members were getting involved. 

After Freshman Showcase, sophomore Olivia Gickerson said, “I really liked Smoke Scenes, but Art Control was the best one.” 

If you couldn’t make it to Freshman Showcase, fear not. The Department of Theatre and Dance opens its 2013-2014 MainStage season with Dead Man’s Cell Phone Oct. 17-20. Student theater also continues with the Fourteenth Grade Players’ production of Clue from Oct. 19-21 and Forbidden Planet’s production of Rent Oct. 24-26.