Clark State brings laughs to campus
Pandemic times continue to make live entertainment productions a challenge. The Clark State Theatre Arts program is finding answers — just say “Check Please.”
The one-act comedy will be performed in a different location — outdoors on the Clark State main campus on the Karen E. Rafinski Student Center patio, 570 E. Leffel Lane on Wednesday. The 30-minute show will be presented at the top of the hour starting at 10 a.m. with the final at 5 p.m., except for 1 p.m. when the cast will break.
The shows are free and open to everyone.
Blind dates can cause anxiety but can also be funny, and that’s what “Check Please” aims for with a series of blind dinner dates that bring the worst, but also maybe some hope.
Theresa Lauricella, professor of theatre and program coordinator for theatre and music, and “Check Please” director Paden Frank put their heads together and came up with an idea that worked.
“Finding a show title to do right now was challenging. We joked about how drama publishers should include on their selector filters ‘social distancing,’” she said. “By and large, plays simply aren’t socially distanced; characters get into the physical space of other characters and in my heart, I wanted to do a live, in-person show, but I also wanted to keep the students safe and wondered how do we do an in-person show with social distancing?” Lauricella wanted a comedy and Frank suggested “Check Please” as people could use laughs now more than ever.
“Audiences should expect to laugh — the show is funny,” she said. “Paden and I wished to engage the audience with what theater does best. There is truly nothing like sharing a laugh, or a cry, although this show won’t be doing that, in realtime with others.”
The show has nine actors, six theatre arts program students and three alumni. Lauricella said “Check Please” offers actors a great deal of material in a one-act play.
Actors Ian Williams and Emylee Siebold never leave the stage, but have the challenge of reacting to the characters they encounter throughout the 30-minute show, while each actor who portrays their dates creates extreme character types who create laughs.
The show also will differ in that it will be presented in Readers Theatre style with the actors side-by-side and facing the audience when speaking to another character, more directly involving the audience. This also helps with the physical distancing.
“For years, I’ve dreamed of doing outdoor theater,” said Lauricella. “When a program is in the Performing Arts Center, it’s easy to stay put, yet here we are doing an outdoor performance on the stunning Leffel Lane campus, which is exciting.”
While the Ohio October weather can be unpredictable, Lauricella points out that sporting events and things like the annual Renaissance Festival still go on, and with this show being only 30 minutes, it should be easy and pleasant to take in.
“October is a beautiful time of year, particularly on the Clark State grounds. It may get chilly, so wearing layers is encouraged,” Lauricella said.
In case of bad weather, the show will move to LRC rooms 207 and 209.