University of Virginia Library

STAGE

Original Works Are 'Four By Four' With Players

An exciting discovery
awaits the theater-goer as the
Virginia Players present Four
By Four, a series of original
one-act plays in the Minor Hall
theater at 8:30 p.m. nightly
until Sunday, May 13. The
four plays were written and
directed by students at the
University and together
provide an interesting and
entertaining evening of theater.

A production of original
dramatic works has long been
one of the principal aims of the
Virginia Players. Every year in
invitation is issued to
playwrights in the University
community to submit original
plays to be considered for
presentation as the Player's
final mainstage production of
the season.

This year four one-act
plays, Dispossessed by Peter
Dierauf, Carlsbad Cavern
Nocturne by David Cupp,
Gunfights by Ken Lambert,
and Virility by C. Edward
Steele, were chosen from the
plays submitted. Four By
Four, gives four playwrights
and four directors the

opportunity to display their
talents.

The curtain opens with the
drama Gunfights, which is
directed by Mark Hatten, (who
was recently cited for acting
excellence by the American
College Theatre Festival). The
play concerns a deadly duel
between a man and his destiny.
It proves that although success
for a gunfighter is a necessity,
it is not always desirable.

Carlsbad Cavern Nocturne
by David Cupp follows with a
decided change of mood.
Directed by Claudia Lacy, this
comedy is the story of a city
family "getting back to
nature." Nature does not
cooperate, however, and the
characters soon find themselves
fighting the elements and each
other.

The third play,
Dispossessed, by Peter Dierauf
is described by its director,
David Cupp, as "a tragedy of
fate on an intensely human
scale." The play stars Arthur
Greene, an instructor in the
Drama Department and
long-time favorite of Minor
Hall audiences.

Rounding out the evening is
a comedy by C. Edward Steele
entitled, Virility, (The Root of
All Evil). The play was well
received in 1972 as part of the
Virginia Players Workshop
series and it is now brought to
the Minor Hall stage under the
direction of Patrick David.
According to director David,
the play is concerned with
"the basic phallusy behind
human endeavor."

(Tickets for Four By
Four may be purchased at
the Minor Hall box office or
reserved by calling 924-3051,
between the hours of 2 and 5
p.m. Student discount tickets
are available through
Wednesday. Four By Four
will run through Sunday with a
matinee Sunday at 2:30.
Ed.)