Stage 2 Productions, a production company led by NSU students, will perform “The Tempest” and “Mayfly: A 24hr Theatre Project” at the Black Box Theatre in October. These productions will be among the first to be held at the Black Box Theatre since the fall of 2019.
Sydney Bruenen, senior theatre and music major with a voice and musical theatre concentration, is excited to perform at the Black Box in person again.
“The thing that I look forward to the most is connecting with an audience and connecting with my fellow classmates again. Getting to practice my craft after almost two years of being online, coming back to it is like returning home,” said Bruenen.
The first play is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”.
“The Tempest is a story about a sorcerer who lives on an island and seeks revenge on the people who put her there. And it is a story about love, loss and forgiveness,” said Bruenen.
Stage 2 Productions will bring the original Shakespearean play to life while also putting their own unique spin on it. Their production will be held Oct. 8 – 9 in the Black Box Theatre.
The other play “Mayfly,” which will be held on Oct. 23, is an original production created entirely by Stage 2 Productions. Students will break into groups, such as writers and directors, and will have 24 hours to produce the play from start to finish. The process is streamlined by everyone working at specified times, such as writers working overnight, with the actors rehearsing up until performance time.
Compared to having to perform virtually, the Black Box presents a better opportunity for students to have more freedom and liberty.
Bill Adams, program director for theater and music, said, “The way the space is so convertible, it gives the designers all kinds of opportunities. The stage can be on the North, the South, the East, or the West side. It’s a convertible space. That’s the most exciting thing about the Black Box.”
The large space allows audiences to watch the plays live while safely social distancing. Cassidy Loucks, senior environmental science major and theatre and marine ecology minor, hopes the plays entertain and satisfy the audience, and also inspires them.
“It is never too late or too weird to try and be involved in the arts in some way. I think a lot of people have a hidden talent and a lot of people are very expressive and wonderful artists. There’s an opportunity for students who want to express their art, and I really, really encourage them to get involved in some way,” said Loucks.
