Students Worked On These Plays All Year. Now, They’re Ready for Primetime

As the final notes of Monday night’s dress rehearsal faded away, the group of University of Virginia students remained silent for just a moment, held under the spell of what they and their classmates had created.

Three plays – just ideas in September – have now been fully realized on stage, brought to life by student writers, actors, directors, designers and technicians. They will premiere Wednesday night during the UVA drama department’s inaugural New Works Festival, designed to highlight undergraduate student playwrights. The festival runs through Friday, with free tickets available through the UVA Arts Box Office.

One play – “The Lookout” by third-year student Olivia Comm – is a gritty mystery chronicling three men stuck in a lighthouse, startled by an unexpected visitor. The second – “Viewing Pleasure” by fourth-year student Nancy-Wren Bradshaw – is a wry comedy about two women experiencing the dawn of television on a remote Air Force base. The third – “Wake Up Music!” by third-year student Micah Watson – is an emotional portrayal of a community’s heartache after an African-American teenager is killed by police.

Take a look at some scenes from the dress rehearsal.