By Gustavo Dias Juliani, Staff Writer
A Newman Student Theatre Festival that will run tonight through Saturday will feature two original one-act plays alongside an improv alumni show. The lineup includes "The Unconventional Therapist," about a therapist using controversial, "off-the-book" techniques to cure a patient, and "Intertwined Family," whose plot The Unconventional Therapist explores the dynamics of a new marriage as two families adapt to a blended life.
Director of Theatre Mark Mannette said the event is a bit different from what the department usually puts on because every performance is student-directed, student-written and student-managed.
Daniel Graber, the student director for the “The Unconventional Therapist,” said that the experience has been a journey of discovery. Because he is directing a script he did not write, Graber said, he has enjoyed building the show alongside the actors during the rehearsal process.
Graber said he has learned to “go and have fun with it, not only with the show but with the process and the moments. You are creating magic on the stage and having the opportunity to give others that passion to create magic themselves."
On Friday, the festival will shift focus to the Sloppy Joes Alumni Show. Unlike a standard performance, this show will feature current students performing on stage alongside returning alumni who were once members of the improv troupe. Organizers planned the show for the Performance Hall in anticipation of a large turnout of both traveling alumni and local supporters.
The schedule includes:
- Tonight and Saturday: "The Unconventional Therapist" at 7 p.m. and "Intertwined Family" at 7:30 p.m. in the Jabara Flexible Theatre.
- Friday: Sloppy Joes Alumni Show at 7 p.m. in the Performance Hall.
Admission is free for Newman students with a valid ID. For the general public, tickets are $5 a show or $10 for a full festival pass. Tickets are available for purchase online or at the door.
PHOTO: Dannicka McGrath, Photo Editor
