Last Will And Testaments

NWACC play a modern look at modern life

“Sonnets for an Old Century,” a collection of modern monologues, takes the stage this weekend at Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville.
“Sonnets for an Old Century,” a collection of modern monologues, takes the stage this weekend at Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville.

There's no Shakespeare in the sonnets taking the stage this weekend at Northwest Arkansas Community College, but there's plenty of eloquence.

"'Sonnets For an Old Century' was written by Obie Award-winning playwright José Rivera," explains Ashley Edwards, theater professor and subject coordinator at NWACC. "Set in that moment between life and afterlife, people from different walks of life assemble before one man, the Gatekeeper. He tells them that they have one final moment to justify their existence and send their words out to the universe."

FAQ

‘Sonnets for an Old Century’

WHEN — 7 p.m. today & Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday

WHERE — White Auditorium at Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville

COST — $6-$8

INFO — Email Ashley Edwards at [email protected]

The play is recommended for mature audiences.

"Characters' musings are specific to their own lives, yet a universality emerges regarding choices to which most can relate, such as one man's grief over his misguided priorities," Steve Bornfeld of the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote about the play.

"'My ambition [the character says] was like a disease in my system, commanding me to ... kill myself with work 24 hours a day. Even if this disease destroyed me, I had to obey it.'"

Or the "anguished apology" on a Bronx street:

"The two guys were laughing. You fell to the ground. I got out of there as fast as I could. I didn't call for help, didn't jump in to break it up, didn't go back to see if you were OK. I didn't do nothing but run. If you're hearing this, I was the one who walked away and left you there, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. ... Please forgive me, sir. Please forgive me."

"I wanted to pick a play/playwright that was contemporary and that spoke to our students," Edwards says of her choice. "I like the play because it has a diverse group of characters; it is an ensemble performance; it is a different way to experience theater; and it lent a great opportunity for students to experiment with character development and design."

Unlike most plays, Edwards didn't choose the cast. The cast chose their characters.

"We had a 16-week rehearsal process -- a semester course -- that gave the students plenty of time to analyze and interpret both the play and the characters themselves," she explains. "During the audition process, the students were able to pick their first and second choices for roles that they wanted to play. This helped because the students became more invested in the characters and chose the ones that they most identified with."

Justin Stewart, a veteran actor who assistant to the dean of communication and arts at NWACC, plays the "Gatekeeper" who hears everyone's questions, explanations and laments.

"There are funny moments, extremely sad moments, moments that will make you cringe, moments that will make you think," he says. "It's a really, really unique show."

"The biggest challenge," Edwards says, "has been educating the college and community about doing a 'new play' -- one that is contemporary and not one of the old standards. The students loved the play and learned a lot about the playwright and the world of the play.

"The biggest reward," she adds, "has been to watch the students take ownership of the play and dig into the script to create an amazing theatrical experience. After attending the Regional Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Texas in February -- which was part of the course -- they were exposed to some pretty powerful performances. They returned with a new excitement to present the play as a true experience that no one has seen in our community.

"I hope that audiences take away from the production that everyone's life is a work of art. Also, that theater can be done in many ways. ... Everyone in the audience is sure to relate to at least one of the characters."

NAN What's Up on 05/01/2015

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