The theatre and performance program is hosting a new event called “The Festival of New Works.”
It will take place April 24-27 at Oklahoma Contemporary, 3000 General Pershing Blvd.
The festival will include a talk show, a new play, a comedy special, a stand-up comedy show, and an original verbatim theater show. None of the works have been published or performed before.
The festival serves as a capstone project for theatre and performance seniors.
Jillian Negan, theatre and performance senior, said the festival will become a permanent part of the theatre and performance program.
“It will forever be essentially a thing after this because it’s the senior B.A. capstone,” Negan said. “Every year from here on out the senior B.A. class will create shows either on their own, in groups or potentially with outside sources and they’ll be able to perform those and workshop them as the current senior class has done.”
The festival gives students a chance to have their work produced before graduation, Negan said.
“As theater artists, we will actually graduate with having our work having been done before and produced and seen,” Negan said.
Matt Tuley, acting senior, is one of the performers in the stand-up comedy show.
Tuley said he’s excited to perform.
“I’m really proud of my set,” Tuley said. “Stand-up is something that I’ve always been interested in, and it wasn’t until recently that I’ve finally gotten into it. I’ve always had a friend or two that’s like ‘have you ever considered stand-up because you talk like a comedian’ and whenever I get angry my parents say that I sound like a stand-up comedian. So I’m very happy with how it’s coming along and I’m really excited to show it to people.”
He said it’s been interesting to watch others develop their new works.
“You get to see these people kind of grow with their work and figure out things and figure out what works and what doesn’t, so seeing the final product will be really neat,” he said.
Dani Pike, acting senior, is also performing in the stand-up show. She said it’s exciting to work with the new pieces.
“I always love new works festivals because it’s always exciting getting to participate in the first of something,” Pike said.
Updates on the festival can be found on the theatre and performance Facebook page, facebook.com/BATAPOCUTHEATRE/.
Editor’s Note: Nicole Waltman, editor-in-chief; Emily Wollenberg, associate editor and Jessica Vanek, web editor are in the B.A. theatre and performance festival. They did not participate in the writing of the story.
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