Greyfell Rises, Surprising Door County

Greyfell Theatre didn't exist before Thanksgiving. The Start-Up Theatre class took up residence at Björklunden, a retreat owned by Lawrence University up in Door County, WI. With a loose plan provided by some faculty guidance, this group of 18 students has invented a small theatre company, written a collection of ten minute plays, rehearsed and produced them. Last night they opened and managed to draw a small crowd despite being a Thursday in the off-season.

Being one of those faculty members, I had not posted anything previously due to some conflict of interest as well as being unsure what they would come up with. Having seen the whole affair come together on their dedication, intelligence and hard work as been truly a pleasure and I would be remiss from not sharing it with our readers.

They selected four exceptional plays for performance: Sitting With Strangers by Phillip Jindra and Isabel Hemley, Down the Drain by Madeline Bunke, Stiff by Alex Koszewski and Tick-Tock by Claire Conard. These plays each have a production team of student actors, directors, stage managers and designers. Together, the plays form Thresholds: A Celebration of 10-Minute Plays.

"It's so exciting" says senior student playwright Claire Conard. "I've never seen my writing on stage before-it's a great new chance. I'll be working with our Literary Manager, Jacque Troy, to keep developing my play. I can't wait to see it on stage!"

Please join us for Thresholds: A Celebration of 10-Minute Plays on Thursday, December 12th at 7:30 pm, Friday December 13th at 7:30 and 9:00 pm and Saturday December 14th at 3:00 pm in

Björklunden's Vail Hall. Björklunden is located at 7590 Boynton Lane, Baileys Harbor, WI. The performance is free with a suggested donation of $5 for students and $10 for adults. Greyfell Theatre Company is the product of Lawrence University's Start-Up Theatre class: a newly offered course currently in its first year. In this unique program, students go to Bjorklunden, the University's northern campus for two weeks, immersing themselves in the multi-faceted world of theatre production. In these two weeks, the students are tasked with the writing, design, rehearsal, and performance of four 10-minute plays, as well as the business-oriented aspects of running a theatre company; building organizational presence, financial planning, and attracting their own audience through marketing and community outreach. Contact: greyfell.org or greyfelltheatre@gmail.com

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