Students in director's chair for play festival

Southwestern College's New Plays Festival is taking on partners and going multimedia. Expect to be dazzled warn excited organizers.

Mark Pentilescu, SWC's enthusiastic professor of theater, has partnered his Theater 118 class with Telemedia 218 to create a New Plays Festival that could also produce television shows and short films.

"I work with the directors as a director of directors, setting goals, timelines, production meetings, rehearsal techniques and casting," said Pentilescu.

Students write scripts as screenplays or stage plays. Three scripts are chosen for production. Directors are assigned and actors are auditioned. Performances will be produced at Mayan Hall later this semester.

Featured in the 2010 New Plays Festival are three pieces. "La Fuerza de Mi Padre," (The Strength of My Father) was written by Jasmin Mellado and is being directed by Yvette Moreno. Aaron Penny wrote "The Science in Judgment," with Gilbert Songalia directing. "The Brass Pole and Hidden Cocktail" was written by Angelo Gonzales and directed by Lila Martinez.

Student set designers from the theater art 160 production class will be working with the directors to design and build their own sets.

Bleachers will be set up on stage that will seat 85 people to provide an intimate connection with the audience.

This year's casts include a large variety of talented students with different levels of experience. Kisai Gonzalez will be performing for the first time in "The Brass Pole and the Hidden Cocktail." Playwright Angelo Gonzales, will play one of the main characters.

SWC's 2010 New Plays Festival will run March 11-21. Until then the preparation is intense. Casts and crews have been inundated with the demanding hours of afternoon and evening rehearsals. Before opening night the theater artists will have a tech night. They will rehearse on the Mayan Hall stage with their lights, props and costumes to perfect each detail. Pentilescu said the most exciting moment is opening night.

"Everyone comes together," he said. "Everyone's holding their breath."

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