ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University Theatre Department is announcing two productions for the month of November. Both productions will take place in the Fine Arts Main Theatre on Concord’s Athens campus.
An evening of eerie one-act plays, Tales of Suspense, will take place Nov. 3 – 6 at 7 p.m. with a matinee on Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. Admission is $5, with Concord students, faculty and staff admitted free. These shows are for mature audiences.
The following week Happily Never After: What Happens After “The End” featuring three comical short plays directed by students will be presented. Performances will take place Nov. 10, 11 and 12 at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public.
Tales of Suspense will feature two psychological thrillers. First up will be an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart, written by CU student Jordan Simpson. In this classic tale, a man nearly gets away with murder except the beating of his victim’s heart drives him over the edge.
The second play of the night will be Specter written by Don Nigro and directed by Karen Vuranch, Concord Theatre Director. In this play, a man picks up a woman in white on a lonely road. Is she the classic ghost girl looking for a ride on a rainy night or is there something more sinister going on? These two strange and spooky tales will leave the audience guessing.
The plays in Happily Never After: What Happens After “The End” are three 10-minute plays, all written by Bruce Kane, and directed by CU students. They are funny takes on what happens after the fairy tale ends. Mirror Mirror will be directed by Whitney Ball and is a comical version of Sleeping Beauty.
Emily Bailey will direct Cindy and Julie. In this play, Cinderella and Juliet meet at their psychologist’s office after their marriages fail. Finally, the evening will close with Clark and Bruce, directed by Joey Mitchem. In this comedy, Superman and Batman meet as old men sitting poolside in retirement.
The plays are an opportunity for CU Theatre students to try their hand at directing.
“This project is a part of an academic class, the class is Theatre for K-12 and the students will all eventually be high school teachers, directing plays with their own students.”
Karen Vuranch
Vuranch went on to say that she has been impressed with her students’ abilities to quickly understand what it takes to direct a play.
“Of course, they are all accomplished actors in their own right and have had experience in plays before. That certainly helps them become competent directors. I usually do plays in our black box theatre, the H.C. Paul. But, considering the fact that COVID is still an issue and we need to keep our audience safe, we decided to use the larger space so that the audience could spread out.”
Karen Vuranch
For more information contact Karen Vuranch at kvuranch@concord.edu. Reservations can be made by calling (304) 384-5275.
Please note that currently, face masks or face coverings are required for all individuals while in Concord University facilities, regardless of vaccination status.
by Sarah Pritchett – Office of Advancement