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The
Millsaps Players will present two student-directed plays Oct.
25-27. Trifles, directed by Millsaps senior Erin Whitaker,
depicts the aftermath of a murder, and Legwork, directed
by Millsaps senior Joey Wilson, is a dark satire on corporate America.
Trifles
is a turn-of-the-century drama written by Susan Glaspell. John Wright,
a farmer, has been slain shortly before the play begins. County
officials and law enforcement arrive at the Wright home to investigate
the murder, and several women from the community come to pick up
some things for Mrs. Wright, who is suspected of strangling her
husband in his sleep. It is through the careful collection of Mrs.
Wright's personal items, or "trifles," that the story
of the couple's relationship, as well as the motivation for murder,
unfolds.
"I chose
this play because I wanted to direct a show that portrayed strong
female characters," comments Whitaker. "Learning about
women's roles in society in turn-of-the- century America has been
one of the most rewarding aspects of my research. It's amazing how
much has changed in our country during the last hundred years."
Whitaker, a
native of Jackson, defines the play as a short murder mystery that
deals with larger social issues. She notes, "We are trying
to address the differences between how men and women see the world."
Whitaker intends
to find a job in theatre after graduation and is also considering
attending
graduate school for directing. Trifles marks her directing debut.
The second production, Legwork, is written by Dean O'Donnell.
The two primary characters, Walter MacMillan and Ernie Caldwell,
are coworkers at a major metropolitan bank. Walter must train neophyte
Ernie in the fine art of bill collecting. What begins as a simple
lesson becomes a battle of wills in which the student becomes the
teacher. With honor, prestige and credit ratings at stake, two men
fight to expose one another's dark deeds while keeping their own
professional reputations intact.
"I chose
this play because I was attracted to its themes of corporate corruption
and the facades that we as humans put on to hide our real feelings,"
says Wilson. "I found both of those themes ring especially
true in today's society. The audience need not despair if they find
themselves rooting for the wrong man, because who can truly know
another man's motivations?"
Wilson, a native
of Sumrall, will attend the Southeastern Theatre Conference this
spring, where he will seek employment with a professional company
in the areas of stage management and sound design.
"It has
been very rewarding to experience the process of producing a show
from a different point of view," he notes. "It's an incredible
rush to be able to pour my creative energy into this work and see
personal vision come to life through the efforts of extremely talented
actors."
The two one-act
plays will be presented on Oct. 25 and 26 and 7:30 p.m., with an
additional matinee performance on Oct. 27 at 2:00 p.m. All performances
will be in the Christian Center Auditorium. Admission is $5, and
playgoers can receive $1 off the price of admission by bringing
a canned good to donate to The Good Samaritan Center. Please note
that these performances contain some adult language that may not
be suitable for children. For more information, contact Brent Lefavor
at (601) 974-1321 or lefavbw@millsaps.edu.
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