Short But Brief: CCRI Players Present Student-Directed 10-Minute Plays

The Community College of Rhode Island conclude their 2016-2017 season with Some Ten Words Long, a program of six student-directed ten-minute plays. Performances will be presented at the Liston Campus, 1 Hilton St. in Providence, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 20, 21, and 22 at 7:30 P.M., and on Saturday and Sunday, April 22 and 23, at 2 P.M.

The CCRI Players have included a student-directed production on their mainstage schedule in each season since 2004-2005. To be eligible to become a student director, a candidate must meet various criteria, which entail both academic performance and active involvement in previous CCRI Players' productions, including having served as a Stage Manager or Assistant Director on a faculty-directed show. This year's directors, mentored by Professor of Theatre Luke J. Sutherland, are Theatre students Trey Hendley, Jerry Middlemiss, and Chelsea Titchenell, each of whom is directing two ten-minute plays, chosen from the works of six different playwrights from the greater Boston area. The umbrella title Some Ten Words Long was chosen to underscore the brevity of the plays, which, as usual, vary in style and tone.

Trey Hendley of Providence, a Theatre technical track student, is directing I Don't Know by James McLindon and Evolution by Peter M. Floyd. The current President of the CCRI Players, Trey recently played Friar Laurence in the Players' production of Romeo and Juliet. Last spring he was Costume Designer for the student-directed presentation Can You Deal With It? and Assistant Costume Designer for Tigers Be Still. Previously, he was Properties Master for The Receptionist. Last summer, Trey was Wardrobe Supervisor at Theatre by the Sea in Matunuck.

Jerry Middlemiss of Providence, a Theatre performance track student and formerly President and Vice-President of the Players, performed at CCRI this season as Paris in Romeo and Juliet and as Paul in When We Were Young and Unafraid. Last spring, he was a principal cast member in Hello Broadway! after playing Zack in Tigers Be Still and Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show. He made his CCRI debut as Schultz in Circle Mirror Transformation, for which he received a nomination for both the Irene Ryan acting auditions and for a Motif Award. Jerry is directing Lost and Found by Dennis Porter and Heading Toward Tiki Villa by Deirdre Girard.

A Theatre performance track student, Chelsea Titchenell of Coventry is directing Going Up by Stephen Faria and Santa Doesn't Live Here Anymore by Patrick Gabridge. Earlier this semester, she received an Irene Ryan nomination for her performance as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. She served as Stage Manager for the Players' December production, When We Were Young and Unafraid, after opening the season wielding a sword in The Haberdasher as Antoinette and the Duke. She made her first CCRI appearance last season as Janet in The Rocky Horror Show, for which she won the Motif Magazine Award for Best Female College Performance, and later earned her first Irene Ryan nomination for her portrayal of Sherry in Tigers Be Still. Last June, Chelsea was an Ensemble member of Hello Broadway!, for which she also supervised hair and makeup.

Some Ten Words Long has set design by Luke J. Sutherland; lighting design by Jamie Allstrom; costume design by Trey Hendley, Nicole Trombetti, Tamera Carvalho, Lexi Smith, Ryan Hole, Brandy Silva, and Marilyn Salvatore; sound design by Katie Westgate; properties design by Clarence Bernard Donath; and technical direction by Justin C. Carroll. The Stage Managers are Kat Brown, Victoria Ezikovich, and Victoria Jessop. Members of the cast are: Kwana Adams, Destinée Mangum and Karolyn Pereira of Providence; John R. Adams and Micaela Chille of Middletown; Julia Egan and Leah Vachon of Cranston; Isaac Larosse and Amber Pouliot of Warwick; Clarence Bernard Donath of Richmond; Carl J. Gerhard of Bristol; Kayla Newport of Riverside; Katie Russell of Newport; and Stevie Smith of Smithfield.

Tickets are $10.00 for the general public and $8.00 for students and senior citizens. Telephone reservations may be made by calling (401) 825-2219 at any time, or by sending an order by e-mail to CCRIPlayers@aol.com.

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