Brevard College presents series of one-act plays Feb. 14-16

Press Release

From Brevage College:

What would you do if bricks of cocaine smashed through your ceiling and landed on your living-room floor? Would you be morally obligated to turn in the loot, or would you, in the same vein as Walter White, decide to profit?

This is the premise of a 10 minute one-act comedy, “Icing on the Cake,” that Brevard College senior Addison Dent wrote, casted, and will direct February 14-16 at the Morrison Playhouse in the College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts.

Dent – along with three other senior Theatre Studies Department majors, Jordan Kahill, Joshua Runkles and Raquan Edwards – will present a series of one-act plays as part of their senior capstone projects.
Each of the student directors chose a play that reflects a compilation of personal experiences, artistic insights, and academic achievements that they have gleaned during their time at Brevard College.

Jordan Kahill selected “Vassal… Vegetable,” Sam Post’s jarring emotional drama. This two-actor performance, starring Natalie Comeau and Stephen Douglas, compels viewers to recognize the shards of their own heartbreak.

“I’ve always been an emotionally-charged person,” said Kahill. “From my music, to art, to theatre, it all starts with where my soul is in it, and if I find it emotionally satisfying. When I came across this piece I felt a connection with it. I chose this piece not only for my love of the symbolism in the title and within the dictionaries, but because I’ve been there. I have felt that, and so has everyone else.”

Josh Runkles is directing “The A-Word,” by Linda Faigao-Hall. Although he is reluctant to reveal too much of the plot, he says that he chose the script for its quality of craft and the beauty of its message.
“‘The A-Word’ explores acceptance for yourself, even when you can’t forgive yourself,” said Runkles. “Much of this play is pretty depressing, but it has a beautiful message.”

Raquan Edwards will present a profound and imaginative story of wish-fulfillment, “Dreams of a Hitman,” an original script that challenges his cast, Blake Ellege, Mary Flynn, and Therman Elkins, to penetrate to the core of each character in order to explore their circumstance.

“We all have dreams that we pursue, but some people don’t have the chance to achieve their goals,” shared Edwards. “The dramatic premise of this is that following your dreams can lead to a more fulfilling lifestyle.”
Edwards’ goal will soon come to fruition, an achievement that he accredits to Brevard College Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies, Brandon Smith.

“Once I graduate, I’ll take more process with me than theatre majors at other colleges,” said Edwards. “I’ve become more prepared, and more creative than I ever thought I’d be. At the end of the day, these tools will only yield fruit.”

Addison Dent, like Edwards, chose to actualize his own script. Dent was intrigued by NPR’s 2008 coverage of the “White Lobster Phenomenon,” when bricks of cocaine washed ashore in Bluefields, Nicuaragua. This change of fortune revitalized the barren economy of a fishing village, but skeptics questioned whether the new source of revenue was a blessing or a curse.

“I started writing last spring, and by Fall 2013 I had several drafts of a comedy that has been in my head since I was 17-years-old. The story then was a very serious drama,” said Dent. “I have happily been a theatre major all four years, and I have never worked so hard in my life. It’s a blast to be a part of this program and to get the chance to work with such great people. I am extremely lucky! ”

Performance times for the plays, performed back-to-back, are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, February 14-15, and 2:30 p.m. matinee on Sunday, February 16. Tickets are $5 and available on Etix.com, and at the doors 30 minutes before each performance. Seating is general admission, so please plan to arrive early.

Questions may be directed to Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies Brandon Smith at smithbm@brevard.edu.

Cutline: (Left to right) Brevard College students Therman Elkins, Curtis Duncan,Hannah Leonard and Molly Ledford rehearse a 10 minute one-act comedy, “Icing on the Cake,” written and directed by Brevard College senior Addison Dent. Dent – along with three other senior Brevard College Theatre Studies Department majors, Jordan Kahill, Joshua Runkles and Raquan Edwards – will present a series of one-act plays February 14-16 at the Morrison Playhouse in the College’s Porter Center for Performing Arts.