California Lutheran University will be hosting student-written-and-directed 10-minute plays, musicals, and dances as a part of the theatre & dance department’s senior capstone projects. The performances will begin on March 20.
“This year is really something special. We have two comedies and we have two dramatic scenes, and then we also have a 10-minute musical and a dance piece. So, it’s different this year, which is really exciting,” senior Lia Tracey said.
Senior Riley Thompson said she will be introducing the first ever 10-minute dance, “GretaXGirlhood” as part of the traditional 10-minute plays at Cal Lutheran.
“Dance is a big part of my world, and I really wanted to do something to incorporate both acting and dancing,” Thompson said. “I wanted to do it in more of an impactful, kind of, like, spoken word-esque piece.”
Thompson said that although she has choreographed dances during her time at Cal Lutheran, this will be the first time she choreographs anything in the round, where audience members surround the stage area from all sides.
“I loved the 10-minute Play Festival, so I’ve been very excited for it,” senior Julia Raszka said.
Raszka said she will be directing and starring in her musical, “Home”, which she was initially inspired to write after a long night spent writing the opening song.
“[It’s] my story of being an international student of missing home, but also finding new places. Finding out that new places feel like home too, and being a little bit torn between those two places. All the people I meet on my journey and just that feeling of, of missing people, missing places,” Raszka said.
Sophomore Thomas Byram said when Raszka approached him about acting in her musical, he “really wanted to be a part of it.”
“It’s about finding your own path and starting your journey, and trying to find home,” Byram said.
Raszka said her play will feature herself, Thomas Byrmam, and Hadyn Hughes.
Tracey said she will be directing a comedy scene called “The Girlfriend’s Nightmare” as her senior capstone project which will feature Amanda Janssen, Liam Flenniken, and Emilia Brewer.
“They can expect a lot of laughs, they can expect a lot of twists and they can expect one very bold shock towards the end,” Tracey said.
Tracey said that her comedy is the story of two friends having a day out together, when one of the girls finds out that her boyfriend decided to get a haircut.
“There is nothing scarier to a girlfriend than finding out her boyfriend is getting a haircut, because you never know how he’s gonna come back,” Tracey said.
Tracey said she drew her inspiration from real life experience, when her boyfriend told her he was going to get a haircut.
Thompson, who is directing a dance number, said that she drew her inspiration from Greta Gerwig and many of her famous monologues including “Barbie,” “Lady Bird,” “Little Women,” and more, as she believes these monologues to be “super impactful.”
“I think talking about women’s struggles and acknowledging the vulnerability within the strength, that is just being a woman, was something that was really drawing to me as wanting to just create a piece around that and explore that feeling more,” Thompson said.
Thompson said that her dance will be an all-women cast featuring Rhianna Smith, Kira Erikson, Angelina Momoh, and Abriella Werbe.
“A good production of a 10-minute play is taking the audience on, like, a rollercoaster of emotions and leaving them thinking about at least one thing they saw in the show,” Tracey said.
Echoing Tracey, Raszka said that her musical is an “emotional journey”, and hopes that the audience will find something to resonate with.
Byram said he thinks students should come see the 10-minute plays because there are various projects showcasing people’s hard work.
“The 10-minute plays are a really great opportunity to come and support not just the people within the department, but the students who are participating. Make sure to come and support them, “Tracey said. “This year, the 10-minute plays are really put together by the students and we have such a large variety of works from comedies to dreams to musicals to dances. So come and check it out.”
Tracey, Raszka, Thompon, and other directors’ opening night of the 10-minute plays is Thursday, March 20, and two more performances will take place on March 21, and March 22.
