RATING: 3.5 out of 5
A lady-in-waiting takes it upon herself to solve a murder mystery. Two best friends reconcile after five years. A grieving widow finds herself in a strange predicament. A prince’s throne is usurped by his best friend. These stories and many others unfolded in the span of two hours in the theater on Jan. 31.
The Arras Periodical, an art and creative writing club, and Thespian Troupe, a theatre club, collaborate annually to perform student-written plays. The Arras writers were given full liberty to interpret their own definitions of the word “disconnection” and wrote eight plays based on their chosen meanings.
With plot twists galore, “A Lady’s First Case: Tears, Tears, and Treachery,” written by Asha Balu and Amy Phan, takes the cake for the most suspenseful play of the night. The lady-in-waiting (someone who escorts the queen) acts as the detective of the mysterious murder of the Grand Duke of Arseington. The three main suspects are the Grand Duchess, the maid, and the stable boy. With many twists, turns, betrayals, and unrequited loves, this play was memorable in storytelling and performance, and I specifically enjoyed Aria Pascual’s portrayal of the duchess. However, I did not quite understand how the play related to “disconnection.”
My favorite play was Artemis Kwok’s “Retaking Borrowed Time,” which features two best friends, Yano and Erwo, who abruptly stop talking after an indirect confession of love from Yano to Erwo. The pair reunite after five years, and after a heartfelt conversation, reconcile and begin a new relationship.
The play was short, sweet, and had a memorable ending scene featuring the song “Taking What’s Not Yours” by TV Girl. I enjoyed the realistic aspects of their relationship and their discussions about the struggles of achieving their dreams — like Yano being stuck in the same town as he grew up in despite wanting to leave the second he could. Travis de Villa and Izair Guzman’s performance as Yano and Erwo, respectively, made Yano and Erwo’s relationship natural and not forced, as if they were truly best friends.
Another favorite of the night was “Fractured Heart of a Widow,” written by Raaghavi Kalluri, with the best plot twist of the night. Mrs. Agatha, played by Paulina Peters, spends a decade in isolation after her husband Arthur’s death, unable to move on. Peter’s performance also stood out to me, whose outstanding acting brought Mrs. Agatha’s character to life.
The play takes a shocking turn at the end when Mrs. Agatha is woken up by Arthur’s ghost, who tries to persuade her into coming into the afterlife with him. The play made me think deeper into the conflicting emotions of grief and how to find a reason to live after a huge loss. Pe
The longest and last play of the night was called “The Excerpt of the Story You Started,” written by Rohil Bhargava. The play is about a prince whose throne is taken over by his hypocritical ex-friend Kasanya. At times, the writing seemed like the author was trying too hard to turn the play into something more meaningful and deeper,primarily near the end of the play, when the Prince confronts Kasanya over her cruel rule. Their lines felt more like separate speeches addressed to the audience rather than a natural conversation.
However, I also noticed that this play used technical aspects to more of its advantage than other plays. For instance, the blue lighting and windy sound effects were used much more creatively, effectively establishing a cold winter setting.
Although some plays fell short in quality in comparison to other plays, I enjoyed the overall experience of watching the performance. The Arras and Thespian clubs put together an impressive event, and I encourage people who enjoy watching plays to find the time to watch next year’s collaboration.