By Samantha Baird
The leaves are falling, a chill is in the air, and that means that it is time again for Brigham Young University Provo’s annual Microburst Theatre Festival. If you break down the word “microburst,” it means a small (micro) explosion (burst) and that is exactly what this festival has in store for you. Microburst highlights the new works of six up and coming playwrights. These short ten-minute plays are thought-provoking, funny, and an all-around wonderful demonstration of the talent in the BYU theatre department.
The festival features an ensemble cast including Claire Eyestone, Bethany Teames, Stephen Coley, Nick Newbold, and Jessica Ashby. Each actor appears in more than one play and adapts to the next story seamlessly. Also highlighted is the work of three talented directors: Professor David Morgan and students Mandarin Wilcox and Zoe Trepanier. Half of the plays that are presented at the festival include sensitive material that may be triggering to some audience members. Short summaries of the six plays are included for viewer reference.
No Signal, written by Amity Wootan and directed by Wilcox, is a futuristic play in which two space officers (Eyestone and Teames) must work together to find a safe way out of the station during an alien attack.
In Sophia Acedo’s A Better Brother, directed by Morgan, Coley and Newbold explore the hardships of PTSD and mental illness. In the unlikeliest of places, it is possible to find support, understanding, and hope.
Immediately following, Ashby joins Coley and Newbold in Haven Spelled Wrong written by Avery DeGering and directed by Morgan. This play approaches the topic of suicide carefully and thoughtfully, a hard but relevant topic to discuss.
A commentary on sexual assault, Cages by Olivia Whiteley and directed by Wilcox, questions how a victim (Eyestone) would respond when face to face with their assaulter (Coley).
The final play of the evening is A Broken Castle by Derek Johnson and directed by Trepanier. It is a heartwarming story of the relationship between two brothers (Newbold and Coley) as one of them prepares to leave for college.
As is always important with new works, Richelle Sutton, Katie Arnold, and Shelley Graham act as the dramaturgy team for the festival. A lobby display demonstrating the journey of new works, and a post-show discussion allowing time for the audience to give feedback and ask questions, offer the audience chances to be active participants.
The Microburst Theatre Festival at BYU is a wonderful experience for audience members and artists alike, however, due to the sensitive material, I would recommend this festival to 18 years and older. It only runs about an hour long, so please take a chance to go see this festival to support these young playwrights and to stretch your mind to think a little deeper.
Brigham Young University Presents the Microburst Theatre Festival.
BYU, Nelke Theatre, 800 E Campus Dr., Provo, UT 84602
October 24-26, 2019, 7:30 PM, October 26, 2019, 2:00 PM
Tickets: $6, $5 for Groups
Microburst Festival Tickets
Microburst Festival Facebook Page
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