A playwriting class recently held a short play festival Nov. 19 in Roosevelt Hall. The event featured plays written by students in the class taught by Kevin Rabas, chair of the department of English, modern languages and journalism.

“I really appreciate how this creates a bridge between the Theatre program and English,” Rabas said. “I love how we’re all able to work together on this project.”

The eight plays featured did not follow a set theme, though some of them may have been built from writing prompts introduced in the class.

“Writing for the stage is pretty much dialogue and action,” Rabas said. “If you’re writing fiction you can do quite a bit of description, you can do backstory, and exposition in different ways. Not that you can’t do those on stage, but they’re harder to do.”

Rabas did have help working on the event this year with a co-producer Bob Hart, instructor of theater and communication.

“We put out a general call for the actors,” Rabas said. “Probably two thirds of the actors end up being ESU Theatre students and then there are other folks who are interested in acting too, who might come from English, psychology or even from the community.”

Casting and rehearsal occurred on the same day the short play festival took place, with people starting to come sign up and try out at 9 a.m. earlier that day. The event started at 2 p.m.

“Once we figure out not only the cast but also who is directing…then we send them off to their rehearsal rooms to get started,” Hart said.

Sometimes students played multiple roles in the event, such as Justin Scheck, junior theatre major, who wrote and directed the ten-minute play “Next time” as well as reading stage directions in another play that was performed.

“I think it’s fantastic,” Scheck said. “I think it’s a great way for playwrights to see their works, and personally, being a theater major it holds a really special place in my heart.”