After an actress did a cold reading for a male role in his script, third-year English student Mike Bedard was influenced to change the character’s gender completely, proving that in the theater, anything goes.
Tonight, Bedard’s work will be one of three one-acts featured in Lapu, the Coyote That Cares Theatre Company’s spring show, titled “Proceed With Caution” at the Jan Popper Theater in Schoenberg Music Hall.
According to Yannan Shi, a fourth-year economics student and LCC Theatre Company producer, the group was created back in 1995 with the intent of providing an avenue for both Asian American theater and student-written theater. Shi said although LCC considers itself an Asian American theater company, its members do not perform explicitly Asian American-themed works.
“There are some pieces that will talk about minority issues, but it really depends on what people want to write about and who makes up the group,” Shi said.
“Proceed with Caution” is a two-hour show that will feature the scripted works of three student writers, and will also include an improv comedy set in which any of the 27 members of LCC Theatre Company can jump in and participate.
One of the scripts, titled “Mask,” was written and directed by Bedard. The psychological drama follows the story of a superhero named Justice and takes place in a dark and politically corrupt world.
Bedard said that the Christopher Nolan Batman movies, “The Watchmen,” the Marvel civil war event and “The Punisher” were all main influences behind what he has written and directed.
“I wanted to do something within the vein of making superheroes gritty, dark and realistic,” Bedard said.
Having previously been an actor, this is the first time Bedard has ever directed or written a show for LCC.
Shi said that LCC allows students the opportunity to explore a variety of different roles that are necessary in bringing a theater production to life.
“Everybody does a little bit of everything,” Shi said. ” I am an actor now, but in the past I have written and directed as well.”
In contrast to “Mask,” the one-act titled “Now What?” is a musical comedy that deals with nine college seniors who lack secure life plans after graduation.
The script is written and directed by fourth-year global studies student Amy Lettau. She said she went through the idea in her head of what a UCLA student would be able to relate to and wanted to make light of the often stressful situations that befall students after graduating from college.
“All of the characters think that they are going to get their degree and walk into this 9-to-5 career, but instead find themselves at random projects or jobs,” Lettau said. “It makes you question your plans and what it means to be a good graduate.”
Lettau has directed for LCC three times before, but said that this show is the biggest project she has worked on with the company. She said that this is the first performance LCC has put on that includes original music, a collaborative composition done by Lettau and fellow LCC member Chris Reed.
“The process was relatively last-minute,” Lettau said. “The music probably took us two to three weeks to write, but it came together really well.”
LCC had the music recorded in a professional studio, and the soundtrack includes songs with titles such as “Barista With a Bachelors,” and “Internships Suck.” Lettau also incorporates cheesy musical theater-inspired choreography with an ensemble of actors that appears whenever a character bursts into song.
In addition to “Mask” and “Now What?” there will be a one-act written and directed by Suzanna Tran and co-directed by Brian Teng titled “Insomniacs Anonymous,” which satirizes group therapy sessions and dives into reasons why some people can’t sleep at night.
Shi said she wants “Proceed With Caution” to help renew its audience’s appreciation for live performance that isn’t necessarily professional, but is still funny and tasteful.
“People could stay in and watch TV, but there is something about watching live theater and in hearing the audience laugh at something different every night that makes it really special,” Shi said.