There were five rows, two spotlights and one camera center-stage. “Come As You Are” by Nirvana played on the speakers encompassing the Black Box as the College Theatre Association’s Student Night of One Acts, or SNOOA, began at Plattsburgh State March 30.
Coordinator of SNOOA and CTA President Mirena Fleury said the show is a month-long process to throw together eight acts, eight directors and all the different cast and crew members, but however, one week before opening night is when SNOOA really got going.
Fleury said CTA is a culmination of undergraduate students who have an enthusiasm for theater.
“It’s a lot of work, but it is rewarding,” Fleury said. “SNOOA is more of a collaboration with everyone. There isn’t a set director with one team.”
TV/Video production major Anthony Scalzo also submitted and participated in SNOOA.
“You do not have to be a theater major to join,” Scalzo said.
Hosts Fleury and Emma Caton tidied props off-stage and grasped the audience’s attention.
“I’ve been doing theater for 14 years, so the acting aspect for me wasn’t as terrifying as it was to host,” Fleury said. “That for me was horrifying because it was so much harder to be yourself on stage rather than playing a character. Every aspect of SNOOA I was involved in.”
It was just the students, the Black Box and their works of art. Some pieces were comedic while others were serious. SNOOA had a well-rounded line-up of acts for the audience members.
“When someone directs a piece of writing that someone else wrote, they always bring their own sense of it to the stage,” Scalzo said. “My favorite memory of the night was probably just seeing the audience’s reaction to everything and their response to the pieces in general.”
Fleury said she was shocked at the responses.
“They laughed really hard,” Fleury said.
Scalzo said he was impressed by the differences of emotion.
“Some laughed, others cried,” Scalzo said. “It was a really moving night.”
PSUC biomedical major Bezawit Lemma attended the event and said the acts had a lot of information students can learn from
“I think each act displays day-to-day issues with our loved ones,” Lemma said. “So I feel many miss this learning opportunity by not coming.”
Fleury said many students come see shows for classes, but that SNOOA is more than a grade.
“By the students, for the students, it’s completely student-based,” Fleury said. “We get first-time actors, writers and directors in our cast. It’s cool and inspiring to know you can do it too.”
