PALR introduces four plays

Eastern’s theater department will be hosting the 2010 Performing Arts Living Room on Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1.

The Performing Arts Living Room, or PALR, is a café-style theater. Plays are performed on a small stage surrounded by chairs and tables, as well as a few couches. The plays typically last no longer than ten minutes.

This year’s staging contains four plays, many fewer than in previous years. While all of the plays in this year’s performance are original productions written specifically for PALR, all of the plays the last few years were written by current Eastern students.

Three of the four plays in this year’s staging are written by Eastern alumni. Likewise, three of the plays are also directed by alumni, with the fourth being directed by Mark Hallen, head of the theater department.

The first of four plays in this year’s production is “The Lewis Family Waltz,” which Hallen describes as “a game of emotional and verbal tennis between two lovers.”

The second is “Never Gonna Give You Up,” which Hallen calls a “Monty-Pythonesque farce about trying to shed your identity, on not being who you’re expected to be.”

Hallen also confirms that the title was inspired by the infamous Rick Astley song of the same name.

The third play is called “Giving, Given, Gone.” Hallen describes it as being about the moments of transformation before, during and after the receipt of a gift.

The final play, titled “The Field,” is, according to Hallen, about “two people who meet at the edge of their lives.”

Showtimes for April 30 are 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., and 8 p.m. on May 1. Tickets cost $5.00 at the door, and include a free cup of coffee and snack.

Hallen recommends arriving early to ensure a seat on one of the couches.