Students come without experience, expectations

After overcoming the adversities of a tight budget, sick actors and a cramped venue, the Underground Theater (UGT) workshop members are about to perform seven one-act plays.

Every aspect of the plays - including producing, writing, directing and acting - were executed exclusively by University of Arizona students, few of whom are theater arts majors.

"One of the best parts of Underground Theater is that we have so many different (student) majors," said director Anne Heintz, an English and theater senior. "It brings people from all different departments together. We have engineering majors writing plays, MIS majors directing and microcellular biology majors acting in (the plays)."

When open auditions were held in February, many students had no prior acting experience - let alone had ever been on a stage before.

The seven plays are diverse in subject matter, but each enacts only one conflict as characteristic of one-acts.

"Most of the plays are about friendship and connection issues," said management information systems sophomore Ben Gross. He is directing two plays, one of which is titled "Willingly."