Friday, November 8, 1996
THEATER:
One-man show ‘4Play’ promises audience a diverse, captivating
journey By Goutami Mikkilineni
Daily Bruin Contributor
By their third year in graduate school, MFA actors are more than
comfortable with acting. But in "4Play," a one man show opening at
MacGowan Hall Sunday, they’ll take on new parts  the roles of
producers, set designers, writers and even lighting
specialists.
The student production will take critics and audience members on
a journey that is quite literally the performance of a lifetime
Âthe "lifetime" being the actors experience at the UCLA
Theater Arts graduate program. Adam Kingle, Paige Lifkin, Pamela
Prather and Paul Katami must perform for their senior thesis, a
one-man show the four collaborated on.
The assignment has been a part of the MFA program since Mel
Shapiro became the head of acting at UCLA’s Theater Department. His
project requires the 15 actors in the program to put up their own
cabaret style performance. The students divide all the tasks of
producing a play, such as lighting, costumes, publicity, while the
first four volunteers of the year write and perform in their own
piece.
It proves to be an enticing look at the journey these actors
have made in their graduate studies. Each student writes and puts
together his or her own 20 to 30 minute segment. The overall
production is directed by Kent Gash, but the players have a large
role in the direction of their own pieces.
The project offers numerous challenges for these young actors.
Besides dealing with all aspects of production, each player must
hold the stage alone for the entire segment. During this time, they
must give the responsibility of their production to their fellow
classmates. Paul Katami and Adam Kingle say they feel comfortable
with this because they have been working with this group of 15 for
the past three years.
Each piece is dramatically different from the one that follows.
The show opens with Kingle’s performance of "The Tower of Babble."
Here, the audience witnesses the realm of physical comedy, as
Kingle mixes nonsensical vocal language with body movements, hand
gestures and voice intonations.
Lifkin, and Katami both put on autobiographical pieces about
life as aspiring actors. Katami’s humorous piece entitled "Lucky
me" reminisces about an actor’s dream and the reality of simply
being an extra on a syndicated television show.
Lifkin’s piece is an introspective look at an actress coming
from a small town to Los Angeles in pursuit of an acting career.
Lifkin hopes the part is not seen as autobiographical. However, she
finds that this project is one of the only times the actor can cast
him/herself, so the roles the students design are integral in
defining themselves as actors.
The second to last piece is a darker one, as Prather presents an
emotionally charged commentary on the archetype of Medea and her
modern day counterpart, Susan Smith. Prather explains "I did this
piece to write the role that I want to be cast in as a woman
actress." She hopes to lead her audience on a journey where they
will look past the morally wrong decision of killing one’s children
to the psyche and human emotions involved in such a tragic act.
The erratic, emotional nature of the pieces adds to the variety
of "4Play." The critics invited to the showcase will be able to see
how these budding artists define themselves in the world of acting,
directing, writing and producing. This weekend is their chance to
light the lights at MacGowan with a showcase of diverse talent and
intense cooperation within this graduating class.
THEATER: "4Play" opens Sunday, Nov. 10 at MacGowan Hall.
Admission is free, but seating is limited. For more info, call
372-2447.
KRIS FALLON
Paige Lifkin portrays a character trying to make the transition
from small town life to the big city in "4play."