By Niki Acton '16

In a partnership between Prairie Players Civic Theatre and the Knox College Department of Theatre, the First Look Play Festival offers opportunities for local playwrights, directors, and actors.

Throughout October and November, readings of plays written by local playwrights and staged by local directors have been presented at venues throughout the community, including McGillacuddy's Side Room, the Galesburg Public Library, and Knox College Studio Theatre.

Elizabeth Carlin Metz, Smith V. Brand Endowed Chair of Theatre Arts, says that hearing their work read by others is a huge learning opportunity for playwrights, "Hearing a play that is in its early stages is crucial to the development of the play," she says. "Playwrights need to hear voices other than the ones in their heads to get a sense of the life of the play."

Karli Shields '16, creative writing major, saw her play, The Fall of Autumn Summers, presented at McGillacuddy's Side Room in early October. Shields' play was directed by visiting instructor in theatre and English, Sherwood Kiraly '72, and featured Becky Gonshak '15.

"It was the first time I had gotten to hear my work outside of a Knox setting," says Shields. "Sherwood really wanted me to be involved in a lot of the choices that he was making. It was nice to get to see the really collaborative side of theatre, especially since I don't have much experience in it yet."

Maddie Mondeaux '15 directed Galesburg resident Sean Paulsgrove's Thinking Outside the Box, featuring students from Knox College and Carl Sandburg College. Mondeaux, a creative writing major and directing minor, regularly participates in Knox College's Playwright's Workshop, a series of staged readings of new plays by Knox students.

"In some ways Playwright's Workshop is very similar to how the First Look festival was organized," says Mondeaux. "The collaboration between Knox and the Galesburg community, however, made it a unique experience. I really enjoyed getting to know and exchanging strategies with directors from all over the Galesburg area."

The final play of the festival, William Zorn's Sand Man, will be presented in Knox College Studio Theatre on Thursday, November 13, at 7 p.m. Directed by Elizabeth Carlin Metz and featuring Knox College students and members of the Galesburg community, the play will take place in the Caffe Cino, a recreation of a historic theatre that was constructed for the fall mainstage production. Admission is free.