This week, Lane Community College’s Student Production Association will provide students a space to be creative and express themselves through their annual “Winter Shorts.” The “Winter Shorts” will be a captivating collection of student-written and directed short plays showcasing the creativity and talent of emerging theatre artists. The production will be held Feb. 13-15 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 16 at 2:00 p.m. for the Eugene community to watch these students’ expressions come to life.
This student-led production first started in the fall as the “Turkey Shorts,” but it evolved into a more structured production as it moved into the winter term. The shorts event has taken place in the Blue Door Theater for roughly four to five years, offering opportunities for all to write, direct and produce short plays.
“ We’re ramping it up quite a bit this year,” James Huntley, acting student and executive director, said. The production will still feature student playwrights and student directors, but this year the event will employ the help of Erica Towe, artistic director, and Brian Haimbach, the lead faculty of the theater department. “They’re supporting us in workshopping the plays with more education in how to make something stage-worthy,” Huntley said.
With the mentorship of Towe and Haimbach, the production will consist of six plays total, five being student-written plays and one devised piece that is collaboratively made by all the students during rehearsals. Numerous themes will be explored this year, including identity, family, relationships, addiction and self-transformation. The devised play will have a special theme this year, focusing on the role that AI has on society in the eyes of these students. Entry for the show is free to the community with donations accepted, with a run time of about one hour with a 15-minute intermission.
Throughout the productions, “Winter Shorts” has been an outlet for students and people in the Eugene community to demonstrate their passion. “The goals are to help the students find their voices and help them develop their skills,” Huntley said. “It’s a much more immersive experience than just taking on one role in a very cultivated piece. It’s a big outreach and a showcase for the students as artists, allowing them to have the impact that you want to have.”
The cast and crew at LCC aimed to represent as many groups as possible in the LCC and greater Eugene community by forming a diverse group of actors and playwrights. The playwrights Indigo Rael Hilton, Anison Reeves, Levi Stewart, Laura Leader and Bea Morris are a collection of students from out of state, UO and LCC. Every full play that was submitted this year involved collaboration among students whose voices are traditionally underrepresented on the stage.
“I never thought that I would direct a show and have the opportunity to be thrown in and use what I know as an actor and apply it to directing while expanding my knowledge,” Huntley said. “It’s something that makes me excited to do it again in the future and having the opportunity to try something that I had never thought that I would try is amazing.”
The “Winter Shorts” has brought together students, alumni and local participants, allowing those who have a passion for theater to express themselves when there aren’t many opportunities to do so. Those who have worked on the shorts before are also always encouraged to return and stay involved in the program. For next year, the SPA will be accepting 10-minute plays and holding auditions to welcome new people to get involved and showcase their talent for the community to see.
