Arts & Humanities Begins Planning for Spring Production of UAM’s History

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Graphic by Douglas Boultinghouse

  
   In the upcoming spring semester, the School of Arts and Humanities will perform a play based on the history of the University of Arkansas at Monticello as part of the Centennial celebration.

    Mark Spencer, dean of Arts and Humanities, heads the project.

   Spencer said he asked faculty members to submit ideas for a project and Scott Kuttenkuler, director of Advancement and former professor of Speech, came up with the idea to do a play.

   “I thought it was a great idea,” Spencer said. “It brings in all of the different disciplines of the school.”

   Kuttenkuler’s idea stemmed from the re-enactment the Debate team performed in January of the signing of Act 100 by the Arkansas General Assembly. The act, also known as the Bellamy Act, created four agriculture schools in the state, including UAM.

   He said he thought it was fun and would present the information well.

   “I threw (the idea) out there,” Kuttenkuler said. “And it grew legs and ran.”

   While the play, tentatively titled “One Hundred Years of Causes, Comedies, and Opportunities,” remains in the writing stages, Kuttenkuler said he plans to help out with the production side of the project, whether it be directing, stage design or anything else.

   Spencer said he wants the production to be a student production – the writing, costume design, technical aspects – all created by the students.

   “The students are the ones who need the experience and learn from the experience,” he said.

   Spencer said roughly 10 students have signed up to help write skits for the play.

   He asked each student to write two-to-three scenes based on a particular event or historical period and depict how life on campus would have been at that time.

   “I would like it to be fast pace, light comedy,” he said.

   He plans to have a large screen behind the actors projecting historic images, a live band and historic costumes.

   “All elements should vividly evoke history,” he said. “It’s just a matter of bringing it all together. The first thing is getting a script.”

   One of the students involved with the writing, Leisha Johnson, a junior English major with an emphasis in Creative Writing, said she wanted to get involved because she had never tried screen writing.

   “It will be fun to say, ‘I wrote a play before,’” she said.

   She said she thinks the public will enjoy the play, especially alumni, who may remember some of the events being re-enacted.

   Spencer said students are welcome to take part in writing, costume design or become a part of the play in any way. Those interested should contact him for more information about becoming involved.

   According to Spencer, once the script is complete, a casting call will be held at the beginning of the spring semester followed by two performances in mid-to-late March.

Look for updates as the play progresses every other week in The Voice.

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