Millsaps Players produce one-acts
Topics include women's roles and corporate ethics

(October 10, 2002)

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.