By Cailean McLeod
Whatcom Community College drama department’s annual spring drama production was held June 3 in the Heiner theater.
The production involved the collaboration of many drama student directors and actors in performing several published works by various past playwrights.
“Spring quarter is traditionally set aside for student generated theatre productions. This can take many forms: student written one-act plays directed by students; student directed published plays; student devised experimental work. This quarter students are directing published works by Bertolt Brecht, David Ives and other established playwrights,” said Gerald Large, drama department faculty member.
Nine short plays were performed, each either casting light on a social issue, calling back upon important moments of history, or providing the audience of a good hearty laugh.
“Controlling Interest”, written by Wayne S. Rawley and directed by Whatcom drama student Conner Moulaisson, is a humor skit about eight-year-old businessmen discussing the issues, the requirements, and implications of liking girls, with the help of two female representatives.
“It is very involved and a good cultural experience for students to come watch, it is good for the community and for student entertainment,” said Whatcom student Kelly Baumgart,
“Students selected challenging pieces to perform. Bertolt Brecht’s ‘The Informer’ is rarely performed,” Large said.
“The Informer”, the third skit that was performed, depicted the students as BBC announcers who are voice-acting the play over radio, which centers on a 1930’s German couple. The makes husband several anti-Nazi statements, and the two fearfully suspect their son and their maid of being informants to the Reich.
“There are three drama productions each year. Students register for Drama 110 in order to be involved in a production. All students registered for the class are involved in the productions. Students work as actors, stage managers, designers and production assistants. Productions are well attended both by students and by theatre going members of the community. Drama productions bring energy and life to the campus by challenging students to perform at their highest level possible,” Large said.
“It is definitely something beneficial because it gets them out of their comfort zones and maybe inspire them to pursue theatre,” said attendee Michael Picolet, who came to the production to watch their friend perform.
