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April 19, 2018
Story and photos by Micah Oelze
SWAG合集 Theatre Director Dr. Rick Abel premiered the Original Play Series at SWAG合集 last year, and in light of its success, he is bringing it back as an annual theatre event. The Second Annual Original Play Series one-night performance is at 7:30 p.m. on April 26 in the Fine Arts Auditorium. Admission is free.
Four original plays were selected from the SWAG合集 Theatre Department鈥檚 Original Playwright Contest. The plays taking the stage are 鈥淎ll Things Small鈥 and 鈥淵ou鈥檙e Never Alone in a Room鈥 by SWAG合集 alumna Kara Grosfield, 鈥淏aby Buffering鈥 by Robin Cain and 鈥淭he Evil Scientist Parable鈥 by sophomore Jose C. Flores.
鈥淎ll Things Small鈥 centers around a character who is remembering events from his life. While he was not excited about his life, he has learned to cope with it. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e Never Alone in a Room鈥 is a story about two people stuck in a room and learning how to agree to disagree and becoming more civilized with each other. 鈥淏aby Buffering鈥 is a comedy which features a young infant who talks, has ideas and continually wants more attention. Finally, 鈥淭he Evil Scientist Parable鈥 tells the story of a company which creates a new product and if it were to be a success, they will become multibillionaires but soon discover it does not have the same effect on everyone.
Dr. Abel said he is excited about what the series brings to the community.
鈥淚 think my job is about making opportunities and helping people to be creative, whether they are art majors or accounting majors,鈥 he said. "The series adds another cultural dimension to Great Bend, SWAG合集 County and the college itself; it provides another opportunity for people to be creative.鈥
Opportunity is what Dr. Abel believes makes SWAG合集 and his job great.
鈥淲hat the college, and certainly the theatre department, is all about is opportunity,鈥 he said. 鈥淛orden (Drimmel) has never directed before, but we gave him the opportunity to give it a try.鈥
With the chance to direct, Drimmel has garnered new respect for those who take on the role.
鈥淚 am surprised Dr. Abel does what he does,鈥 he said. 鈥淭heatre kids are not easy to coordinate, we are loud and obnoxious at times, almost all the time.鈥
Along with respect, Drimmel has had to pick up a few new skills.
鈥淚 have ideas, granted I cannot do all of them because we are limited with the set,鈥 Drimmel said. 鈥淚 also have to understand when I read the script it is different from when the actors read it, so I have to tweak my image a little that way it makes me happy but the actors happy as well.鈥
One of the actors Drimmel is working with is Karen Gore, a community member making her SWAG合集 stage debut in the role of a self-absorbed businesswoman who thinks highly of herself and her abilities in 鈥淵ou鈥檙e Never Alone in a Room.鈥 Gore recently returned to theatre after a long absence since she graduated from Fort Hays State University.
鈥淟ike everyone else, you get out of college and you have to find a job, then work comes up, you get married and have kids,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 have gotten a chance to go back to theatre and have been involved for the last couple of years.鈥
Gore鈥檚 co-star, Dwight Young, was also involved in theatre, but he too became busy with work and family. After retiring, he returned to theatre about the same time Dr. Abel took over the department at SWAG合集 in 2016. Since then, he has become heavily involved once more.
Dr. Abel encourages the community to participate in next year鈥檚 Original Play Series, and for those who choose to try their hand at playwriting, he recommends attending the Original Playwright Workshop to sharpen the skills necessary for a short production.
鈥淓very playwright whose work was selected attended the Playwright Workshop lead by local playwright Rob Munden,鈥 Dr. Abel said.
For more information about the series or theatre department, contact Theatre Director Dr. Rick Abel at abelr@bartonccc.edu or (620) 792-9333.