Arts and Entertainment

Theatre students demonstrate directing, playwriting, acting skills in 13th year of “Shorts”

Elise Brown
May 10, 2012

For the past 13 years, West Linn theatre students have been given the opportunity to direct, cast and even write a one-act play by themselves. This year, four student-directed plays, including two original plays by students, will be showcased at “Shorts 13” for the next three nights.

Emily Axelrod, senior, is directing her original play “The Grannynappers.” In this play, Hank (Riley Olson, sophomore) is struggling to find happiness. In an attempt to make him feel better, his brother Frank (Brad Stone, junior) kidnaps a slew of grandmothers to make Hank feel loved. This piece is described by Axelrod as a “fast-paced comedy,” and it is expected to include both physical and dialogue-based humor.

Tennessee Williams’ 1941 play “The Case of the Crushed Petunias” is being directed by Ailish Duff, senior. Dorothy Simple (Lauren Russ, sophomore) is an employee of a flower shop who is trapped in her routine lifestyle. A young man (James Topping, sophomore) tramples her petunias, making her rather angry, but the man is prepared to help her escape this dull life.

The 1920s play “If Men Played Cards as Women Do” is being directed by Rhianna Turner, junior, and Paden Bryck, senior. A “delightful comment on gender politics,” according to Turner and Bryck, it concerns four men who gather to play a card game, reading lines that would be more characteristic of women. The roles, written for male actors, will be played by four women who will portray men.

Ashley Welp, senior, wrote the fourth play of the showcase, “Help Wanted.” Directed by Caroline Hitesman, it is a story about two women, Meg (Roxanne Stathos, junior) and Ingrid (Olivia Klugman, freshman) who are struggling to find romance and employment. The cast also employs Griffin Ollar, sophomore, and Hayley Campa, senior, who will portray many stereotypes throughout the play, such as “interviewers, people on a first date, and… ‘Help Wanted’ ads.”

Shorts 13 will run at 7 p.m. on May 10-12 in the auditorium. Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office. Students pay $5 and adults pay $8.

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About the Contributor

Elise Brown, Co Editor-in-Chief

Elise Brown, senior, has always felt comfortable standing up and giving her opinion in front of everyone and for the most part, she enjoys it very much. That is one of the many reasons why she heads the debate team, and also why in June she earned a place in the National Speech and Debate Competition in Indianapolis.

Out of the 250 people entered in the competition, she finished 151st in the country. Before she earned her rightful place in Nationals, however, she needed to prove herself in Districts and State.

Her 10 minute long speech about socialism and its benefits took first and second in Districts and State, respectively.

“In the National competition the judges didn’t appreciate politics or controversy as much as they did in Districts and State,” Brown said. This was confirmed from one of the judges she conversed with in order to find out what she could do better.

Brown’s interest in current events started in the eighth grade. She then did the Amplifier, the high school newspaper to help communicate her ideas about the world with her fellow peers, she also did the debate team to better understand the problems throughout the world and learn how to solve them somewhat.

“Debate involves knowing what is going on in the world,” Brown said.

This year for upcoming competitions, she has a speech in the works that she feels will top her last one. This year’s speech is about interdependence inspired by the “you didn’t build that debate,” caused when President Barack Obama told business people that they did not create their businesses on their own.

Brown’s passion for debate has influenced what college she will go to, what she will study in college, and what she wants to do in her life. Brown’s goal is to graduate high school and then travel to Massachusetts and attend Wellesley College, a very well known and prestigious college, where Brown hopes to study political science.

To achieve this goal she has taken part in a number of rigorous courses and activities such as Speech and Debate, AP Government, AP Economics, Honors Law, AP English and journalism. Once Brown achieves her education goals, her next goal is to become a political commentator.

“I want to change people’s minds,” Brown said. Brown has chosen the path to become a political commentator because she believes political power lies with the media.

Brown has worked very hard throughout high school and continues to work hard through her senior year. She has taken many challenging courses to achieve her goal of going to Wellesley, and will need to continue down the very rigorous path to success to accomplish her goals.