Actors plan improv skits with audience participation
By John Gardner, News Writing Student
The drama department’s upcoming play “Forum Theater Project” takes the audience on an unconventional journey into a world of improvisation which expresses everyday problems in society, said Brent Noel, theater professor and director.
Noel said this avant-garde technique of using audience participation provokes critical thinking and provides a unique learning experience for college students.
In this production, 10 actors present various controversial scenarios they have experienced and translate them into theatrical form. Audience members can then volunteer to engage in improvisation with the actors to formulate possible solutions to these contentious issues, Noel said.
The curtain opens nightly at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 through 28 at the Bruce Owen Theater. Admission is free.
The audience will be seated on the stage along with the actors which helps alleviate stage fright and gives everyone included a sense of unity, Noel said.
Mitch McFarland, one of the actors in the production, said there is a bond that develops between everyone involved. “It can become a kind of group therapy.”
Various scenarios, including student-teacher relationships, self-esteem, and the stifling of creativity — some of the selected themes of the play — will be performed by drama students with spontaneous audience response. In this format, Noel said, everyone has a voice.
“It’s not about getting it right,” he said. “It’s about exploring possibilities.”
One specific skit involves a character named Doc, who is troubled with self-esteem issues. Throughout the skit, Doc continually demoralizes himself using internal monologue. After the skit is performed, audience members have the option to present their solutions to Doc’s internal dilemma. The topics addressed lend themselves primarily to the college community.
Lauren Thomas, Mitch McFarland, Kayla Epperson, Alex Massey, Marland Ferguson, Tara Nixon, John-Printes Davis, Christie Russell and Kristen Hennesy star in the Forum Theater Project.
This diverse group of actors begin rehearsal by having a group brainstorming session.
When one actor has an idea, the actors combine to develop a set and add some dialogue for the evolving skit. Though the actors write and direct, as well as perform these scenarios, Noel suggests ways in which the work can be more theatrically tuned.
The history of this type of improvisational technique was created by Brazilian theater director Augusto Boal during the 1970s with the idea that “theater belongs to everyone,” Noel said.
The inclusion of audience participation affords students the opportunity to voice their opinions on controversial topics. This format of theater provides students with a creative outlet.
“The goal is not to entertain. The goal is to engage in a dialogue,” Noel said.
