Your School. Your Paper. Since 1936.

The Suffolk Journal

Your School. Your Paper. Since 1936.

The Suffolk Journal

Your School. Your Paper. Since 1936.

The Suffolk Journal

Admin Feature of the Week: An Interview with Marilyn Plotkins on Fall Showcase

 “The showcase is the soul of the theatre department.”

 

Marilyn Plotkins is the Chair of the Theatre Department and the Artistic Director of the Modern Theatre. The following is her explanation of the tradition at Suffolk, Fall Showcase which is a series of short plays student written and directed.

How does one get involved in Showcase?

“There is a proposal process. Every year in the early spring we send out a call for proposals. There is a requirement that a student has to have had at least a directing class, ideally two. Writers, a playwriting class, ideally two. There are always exceptions. They have to have come through the system essentially. And they have to come up with a proposal that we think not only represents who the student is and what we know will bring out the best, but also has to be feasible. Increasingly more and more students are presenting more and more proposals and the proposals are getting increasingly better.”

What is the backstory of the Showcase?

“Showcase is something that was created over 25 years ago and the idea was to give students the opportunity to present theatrical work that they really cared about. The faculty chooses shows, they are always thinking and hoping what they choose will resonate deeply with the students who become involved. However, we understand that it’s really important to give students the opportunity to say, ‘this material really matters to me, these are issues that really matter to me.’ I think that’s why it’s so important to us. One, it gives students the opportunity to pick subjects that they then turn into plays, because it represents what’s really important to them right now. Two, it inspires our students to take leadership roles that are so rich and so extraordinary.”

Who are some key players involved in making Showcase happen?

Wes Savick: “Because Wes is a writer/director, he inspires our students to write and direct and he makes his students feel that writing shouldn’t be so eccentric or unusual a thing for an undergraduate to do. Many people think you don’t write unless you are in a special writing program. Wes’ writing is an integrated part of what he teaches and that’s why the theatre department generates so many writers and so many really fine writers and writer/directors. The role that our directors, our writers, our stage managers, and now our designers play demonstrate how ambitious the department is and how empowered they are to make theatre that is theirs at a very high standard.”

Richard Chambers: “Another thing that is so great about the showcase is the way in which Richard is involved. He is such a great mentor for directors to help them think about how to create a ground plan and design to help them tell their story.”

Steve McIntosh: “Steve does so much to integrate what everyone does and help translate it into a really wonderful evening of theatre. Not only because he manages the lighting and the sound but he also coordinates all of the scene changes and he’s just fabulous.”

MAKE SURE YOU’VE GOT YOUR TICKET TO SEE THE SHOWCASE NEXT WEEK! 

What song have I chosen that best represents Marilyn Plotkins?

Barbra Streisand’s rendition of Jingle Bells. Take a listen and let me know if you agree – 01 Jingle Bells

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All The Suffolk Journal Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Activate Search
Admin Feature of the Week: An Interview with Marilyn Plotkins on Fall Showcase