VSU Professor Presents Original One-Act at the Turner Center

VALDOSTA -- As a graduate student at Georgia College in Milledgeville, Marie Elliott participated in the Theatre Department’s annual 24-Hour Plays. It was a chance for up-and-coming writers, directors, actors, and technicians to create brand new plays -- in literally 24 hours.

Elliott participated in the event each year, for three years, creating plays lasting 10 to 15 minutes in length for the Max Noah Recital Hall stage. During her final year in the Master of Fine Arts in creative writing program, she introduced Georgia College theatre-goers to the Homestead family, tackling an issue of concern to all those who meet the man/woman of their dreams -- introducing the boyfriend/girlfriend to the family.

“The play did really well,” said Elliott, who joined Valdosta State University’s Mass Media program faculty in 2011 as an assistant professor. “People suggested that I turn it into a one-act play, so I did.”

Directed by and starring friends from her days at Georgia College, Elliott’s original one-act play, “The Homestead Players,” will be presented at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 9, at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for VSU and other students. Advance reservations are required due to limited seating, but tickets may be paid for at the door. The performance will last about 35 minutes and will be followed by a question and answer session with the actors, the director, and, of course, the writer.

Attendees will also enjoy a brief video preview, produced as a community service by Elliott, of the Turner Center for the Arts’ upcoming Presenter Series season, which kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 27 with “King Michael,” a tribute to the Michael Jackson. A drawing will be held for two 2012-2013 Presenter Series season tickets, valued at $300.

Elliott provided a synopsis for the five-person show, which is set during modern times, in the Homestead house: “Growing up in a family full of theatre enthusiasts wasn’t easy for Samuel Beckett “Sam” Homestead. Now, Sam is bringing his new girlfriend, Juliette, home for the first time, and he’s got a big question planned for dinner. But Sam’s family has other extracurricular entertainment on the program for the evening, making Sam reevaluate his love for his family, as well as Juliette.”

“The Homestead Players” is a family friendly production. However, Elliott noted that there is a birthing scene at the end as the Homestead parents attempt to show their son how much they love him by reenacting his birth.

“It’s a smart play and references a lot of classical plays … playwrights … Shakespeare … Samuel Beckett,” she added. “I really want my peers to see it. It’s super exciting to see the words transcend the page.”

Although it’s difficult to publish an original play, Elliott said that she writes as much as possible. She is currently working on two additional acts for “The Homestead Players.”

Elliott holds an Associate of Science in general education and Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts from West Virginia State University, a Master of Fine Arts in film production-writing and producing from Ohio University, and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing-dramatic writing from Georgia College. Before joining the faculty at VSU, she taught courses at Georgia College, Gainesville State College, and the Ohio University School of Film. Her production experience includes working as an accounting clerk for “Life As We Know It,” “Zombieland,” and “We Are Marshall.”

Contact Marie Elliott at (229) 249-4876 or mmelliott@valdosta.edu or the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts at (229) 247-2787 for more information.

On the Web:
www.jamesmarproductions.blogspot.com
www.turnercenter.org