Held in the Weigand Studio Theater (Black Box), Jesuit’s annual Playfest is being shown from May 21-23 starting at 7:30pm.
But what is Playfest?
Playfest is four smaller plays written, acted, directed, and designed by Jesuit students. This means that students are in charge of all creative choices such as blocking, costumes, and lighting.
The four plays selected this year are:
Physical Ed by Christopher Denler
Who Told Austin Clay by Meg Flanagan
The Most Magical Place on Earth by Natalie Moore
What We Talk About When We Talk About Dating by Walton Hurley
And the play descriptions are below:
Physical Ed is a fast-paced absurdist comedy following four students stuck in a remedial summer PE class led by the terrifyingly intense Coach J. As the class descends further into chaos through bizarre drills, hallucinations, and increasingly unhinged motivational speeches, the students begin confronting the insecurities and pressures that landed them there in the first place. Beneath all the yelling, dodgeballs, and insanity, Physical Ed is about learning when to stop letting institutions define your worth.
Who Told Austin Clay features a group of friends who find themselves stuck at a chaotic college party, tensions rise as the group scrambles to uncover Who Told Austin Clay. Accusations fly as they search for the truth. Beneath the messy, high-energy comedy, the play explores the fragile nature of trust in relationships and how easily it can be manipulated.
The Most Magical Place on Earth follows a haphazard family on their tumultuous trip to Disneyland. Set in line for the Indiana Jones ride, these dynamic characters endure the trials of the amusement park in an absurd, satirical, comedic fashion. Packed with action and featuring witty banter, The Most Magical Place on Earth is sure to crack you up.
What We Talk About When We Talk About Dating is a one-act comedy that follows two teenage best friends navigating the messy, confusing space between friendship and something more. Funny and surprisingly tender, it asks whether love strikes you all at once or quietly sneaks up on you, and what happens when you say completely the wrong thing at completely the wrong moment
Christopher Denler, one of the writers of Playfest, is most excited to see:
“The amazingly talented cast and crew bring the story to life and see how it transformed from something only in my head to a story everyone can share and enjoy.”
Similarly, Natalie Moore also describes the process of Playfest and the plays coming alive as the most thrilling part.
“The most exciting part has been seeing the plays come to life from just the scripts to the rehearsals, and eventually the performances. I’m excited to see all the pieces put together this weekend, and the audience’s reactions.”
So come support the Jesuit theater community these following days and purchase tickets on the home drama page at: https://jesuitportland.ludus.com/show_page.php?show_id=200498571
