The Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) Theater program has named three stage plays for the first half of its 2018-19 theater season. All three plays will be performed by students at TAMUK.
“It takes about one month to produce a show,” biology major Etta Enow said. “I am really excited for this year’s season.We have a lot of amazing shows lined up, starting with our first show, The Aliens directed by senior TAMUK student Laurie Guajardo.”
Guajardo has acted in several plays, but explains she has no preference when given the choice between acting and directing. She is proud of all her theatrical endeavors and loves being off or on stage. However, she explainsthat directing has its own unique quirks.
“It’s wonderful because you are given complete control to execute your particular vision of the show and it gives you such an amazing outlet to express your own original sense of theatrical creativity and utilize everything you’ve learned from acting and working with amazing directors over the years,” Guajardo said.
The Aliens takes place in a small town in Vermont. Two men in their thirties, Jasper a man who has yet to finish high school but is writing a novel, and KJ, who is a college dropout, meet in an alley behind a coffee shop.
They discuss their lives and talk about their band, The Aliens . When Evan, a high school student who works at the coffee shop arrives, the men “decide to teach him everything they know.”
The play will be performed at 7:30 p.m on Sept. 28-29 and at 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 30 at the Little Theatre. June Bug will make its debut at 7:30p.m. on Nov. 2-3 and at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. at the Little Theatre.
Written and directed by Director of Theater Activities Corey Ranson, Dylan Mendoza says, “this is one show to look out for.”
“It explores the lives of the homeless in a personal way. It is the perspectives of these individuals and how they live that has me intrigued. And I can’t wait to see how it all turns out,” Mendoza said.
We see them every day. We drive past them. We walk past them. We avoid looking at them. We throw money and turn away. They spend their days without a home. They focus on the next fix.
Some are here because they have to be. Their basic day-to-day needs and activities are just a simple things we take for granted. Their tomorrow is not for sure. They know that. They laugh. They fight.They help each other. They are the June Bugs.
The cast and crew plans to perform June Bugs on Nov. 7-10 at the Kennedy Center American College State Festival at Penola College. The time is still to be determined.
Also included in the lineup is the Annual Children’s show, Goldilocks, to be directed by the theater honor society, Alpha Psi Omega.
In this new take on Goldilocks, she’s back, but she is still breaking the law. Goldilocks, after all the different versions of the three bears over the years, still can’t find her own place. And we still don’t know why the three bears don’t lock the door, but here we go again.
Goldilocks will be performed at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 11 at Jones Auditorium public audiences. The play will be performed for local and regional and elementary schools at 9 a.m, 10:30 a.m., and 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 and at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m on Feb. 13.
If students are interested in auditioning for the shows, they can talk to any member of Alpha Psi Omega, or keep a lookout for their audition fliers.
“This season, since we are so busy and active, there is a lot of opportunity to get a role in a show,” Enow said.
“Overall, I think the students will be drawn to these shows because there’s at least one show that will catch the [students] attention.”
All shows are free to students and faculty with their TAMUK ID, and for members of the Kingsville community, it will cost $5.
Guajardo explains that it takes countless hours of work to put each play together. However, she thinks all the sweat and tears put into each play are worth it in the end when she hears the applause of the onlooking crowd.
This fall semester of shows is predicted to have a great turnout. The TAMUK Theatre program is excited to reveal all their hard work and preparation for these upcoming shows. They hope the students, faculty and community comes out to witness these great shows.