This year, Quinnipiac students will have the opportunity to participate in the New Play Festival that will take place April 19-22 in New York City. The festival consists of students putting on 10-minute-plays that they get to write, direct, act and stage manage with the help of a New York City off-Broadway theater company named the Barrow Group.
This year’s Festival Manager, Danielle Radeke, said this event gives students ample opportunities.
“It is a great way for students interested in theater to get NYC experience, bond with each other, and try their hand at new positions within theater in a safe and supportive environment,” Radeke said. “We always say that if you want to go to New York City, we will get you to New York City.”
Basically, if a QU student has the drive, they can be a part of the New Play Festival. Props, costumes, box office and hair/makeup are the positions that require only an email to Professor Kevin Daly. However, lots of the positions offered are application based.
To be an actor, you need to participate in the audition process that takes place in February. Actors will need to audition for all the directors and if they do well, they will receive a call back and then become a part of the cast.
To be a director and stage manager, students need to submit a cover letter discussing past experiences in this field. However, freshmen are not allowed to be directors, but can be stage managers.
The playwrights have to submit their plays to the Barrow Group. They then read them and choose the seven they think will go along with the theme/setting of the festival.
The New Play Festival had its first meeting on Saturday Sept. 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Theater Arts Center. If you could not attend this meeting, there will be more meetings in the future, or students can email professor Kevin Daly.
“The New Play Festival is a very exciting event for the theater program,” Daly said. “Not just for our theater majors but also the students who are involved in theater while majoring in other disciplines All theater programing at QU is open to all students regardless of major and this is no exception. One of the things that makes this program so unique is that students get to work with professional mentors from the New York Theater Industry. Professional directors, stage managers, playwrights, designers and producers all work with our students throughout the entire academic year preparing for a New Play Festival.”
Freshman Nicole Gibson attended the meeting and says she is interested in being a part of the New Play Festival.
“I actually thought that the meeting was interesting, seeing how the structure of a play works, especially in writing,” Gibson says. “I’m more of an actress than a writer, but I really did like how you can have a simple idea and make it come to life”.
Each day of the festival offers something new, but their performances will be held on April 20 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Like Radeke stated before, this is her fourth year participating in the New Play Festival. When she was a freshman, she was a stage manager and during her sophomore year, she was a director and also acted in another show.
Her junior year, however, was successful for her. Her own play, “Tell-Tale,” debuted in New York City as one of the seven plays in the Festival that year. This year, as the Festival Stage Manager, she gets to work with the students and also the Barrow Group, playing the role as a liaison.
“I am excited to be taking on this role and know this Festival has the potential to be the best one yet,” Radeke said.
