 Media Credit: Annie Lu Jim Fagan, A&S ´07, and Christian Hunt, A&S ´05, in their skit Saturday.
|
|
 Media Credit: Annie Lu
|
|
 Media Credit: Annie Lu
|
|
"In theatre terms, it was a sprint, a long learning process. I loved it," said Crystal Gomes, A&S '05, writer and director of Clam and Hershel Go to the Market. The play was one of four that students, friends, and faculty gathered to watch in Robsham Theater's Bonn Studio Saturday night. The productions were all written, produced, directed, and acted in by Boston College students. Amid the intimate yet informal setting of black curtains, dark-tiled flooring, and sporadic bright lights, the chatter was loud, anticipating the coming presentation of the second season of After-Hours Theatre. Then, without warning, all of the lights went out leaving the audience in complete darkness.
The first of the productions was The Boy with No Arms or Legs. It is a satirical piece, with both powerful messages and acting, and tells of the emotional hardships of two brothers. The older brother, played by Greg O'Kane, A&S '08, is without arms and legs. His mother, played by Meghan Hart, A&S '08, never expected him to accomplish anything exceptional and he finally gives up on his passion for baseball and turns to watching TV ballet productions. The younger brother, played by Matt Cullinan, A&S '07, excelled in every sport and loved playing baseball with his older brother, until his brother seemed to lose all interest in the sport one day. Until then the older boy envisioned he could play baseball and run around. His perceptions about what he could achieve, despite his handicap, were boundless. The show ended as the eldest brother envisions his capability beyond physical limitations.
The second show, My Mother and Father Sail the Aegean, was a dark comedy with an intricate storyline. It tells the story of a mother who killed her husband, and how her two sons hold her responsible for many of the things that went wrong in their lives. The actors, Matt O'Hare, A&S '06, Lacey Upton, A&S '06, and Paul Wendel, A&S '08, all delivered wonderful performances that made the play remarkable. "It was an incredible experience. Bringing everything together was incredible," Wendel said.
Rings of Life, the third show, evaluates how different generations view what success in life is equal to. Is success eternal joy or a promotion? Is being naïve the same as being simple? This question is debated through the argument over condemning an old tree between an older man, Jeff Augustin, A&S '08, and a young woman, Katie Moeller, A&S '07. This play, with its simple background, was wonderfully acted.
The final play was a comical vaudeville-styled routine and was one of the highlights of the show. Clam and Hershel Go to the Market told the story of two friends, Clam, Christian Hunt, A&S '05, and Hershel, Jim Fagan, A&S '07, going to the store and asking to see the merchandise of different vendors. There is a mackerel vendor, a Cadillac vendor, and a flower vendor, played respectively by Tim Westfield, A&S '06, Dave Brites, A&S '08, and Sara Goldstein, A&S '05. All played their characters flawlessly and enhanced the comedy of the routine.
The second season of After-Hours Theatre was spectacular with its variety of plays and its powerful acting. It gave wonderful insight into the theatrical minds of BC students, and there is much to look forward to in its spring performance.
Spring Break
