University Theatre Players Present One Act Comedies

USCA’s University Theatre Players present the first performances of the new semester, two one-act comedies by James McLure, Laundry & Bourbon, and Lone Star. Directed as Capstone Projects by theatre majors Cade Melnyk (L&B) and Jaden Napier (LS), the shows open at 7:00 pm on Friday, February 28 in the O’Connell Theatre, and run again at 7:00 pm on Saturday, March 1 and 2:00 pm on Sunday, March 2. Thanks to the generous underwriting provided by the Provost, USCA students can see this performance free of charge. Students must come to the Etherredge Center Box Office and show a valid student ID to claim their ticket. Only one ticket per student is allowed. This is an ACE credit. Adult tickets are $10, and non-USCA student tickets are $7.

Written in 1979, McLure’s companion comedies have been a staple of production seasons for over forty years. Set in small-town Texas, Laundry & Bourbon takes place on the front porch of Roy and Elizabeth, where Elizabeth and her two friends, Hattie and Amy Lee, spend their time sipping bourbon and Coke and gossiping. One source of the town gossip focuses on the problems that Roy and Elizabeth have had since Roy came back from Vietnam. Lone Star takes us across town to the alley behind a bar, where Roy, his brother Ray, and Cletis are steadily drinking and talking about Roy’s three favorite things: his military service, his wife, and his 1959 pink Ford Thunderbird. But of course, not everything is as rosy as it might appear!

Laundry and Bourbon, directed by Melnyk, features Kennedy Pollard as Elizabeth, Keviana Marshall as Hattie, and Emily Enos as Amy Lee. Ella Rich serves as the Production Stage Manager, with Beth Smith as the Lighting Designer, Wren Hamrick as the Costume Designer, Jeasmine Blyther as the Sound Designer, and Yassiar Brown as the Props Designer. Lone Star, directed by Napier, features Daniel Mims as Roy, Tobias Knight as Ray, and Glenn Roberts as Cletis. Ashleigh Ponder serves as the Production Stage Manager, with Daniel Mason as the Assistant Stage Manager. The production team also includes Joshua Chambers as Lighting Designer, USCA Costume Studio Supervisor Collette Miller as Costume Designer, and Blyther and Brown as Sound and Props Designers, respectively. USCA Theatre Professor, Ashley Jensen is the Scenic Designer for both shows.

With performances at 7:00 pm on February 28 and March 1, and 2:00 pm on March 2 in the O’Connell Theatre, seating is limited. Patrons are encouraged to get the tickets ahead of time by calling the Box Office at 803.641.3305 or visiting etherredgecenter.universitytickets.com. USCA students who would like to take advantage of the free tickets must come to the box office to present a valid student ID. Only one ticket per student is allowed. For questions, call the box office or email Paul Crook at PaulC@usca.edu.

For more information, contact USCA Marketing & Communication at news@usca.edu.