Hillsdale College Tower Players Presents Festival of Short Plays
The performance featured four one-act plays directed, designed, and produced by student collaborators.
HILLSDALE, Mich. — The Hillsdale College Tower Players presented their biennial Festival of Short Plays April 10-12. The performance featured four one-act plays directed, designed, and produced by student collaborators.
“This event showcases the skill, creativity, and passion our students bring to the stage,” said Christopher Matsos, chairman and associate professor of theatre. “Through a variety of stories and styles, they harnessed the power of drama to explore human life — from love to grief to ordinary life.”
“Through a variety of stories and styles, they harnessed the power of drama to explore human life.”
This year’s productions included:
- “The Girl Who Cannot Be Hurt” by Adam Szymkovicz, directed by Maggie Saffian ’27
- “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell, directed by Sophia Miller ’27
- “The Death of the Hired Man” by Jay Reid Gould, based on the poem by Robert Frost, directed by Joshua Burnett ’26
- “The Gift of the Magi” by Ann Coulter Martens, based on the story by O. Henry, directed by Yaozhu (Charlie) Cheng ’26
“‘The Death of the Hired Man’ was adapted from a Robert Frost poem of the same name. I was drawn to these characters and the universal struggles they face: life, death, and how to live in community,” Burnett said. “I want to thank all of the actors and crew for all their effort and sacrifice to bring this show to life.”
“I was drawn to these characters and the universal struggles they face.”
The Tower Players are the branch of Hillsdale’s Theatre Department that produces plays, generally performing three main-stage productions each year, as well as numerous one-act and workshop productions. The group is open to all students interested in drama, regardless of major. Shows range from Shakespeare to musical theatre and have included several world premieres as well as touring productions.
The Theatre Department also hosts visiting artists, goes on an annual trip to the Stratford Festival in Ontario, and has taken productions to the world-famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Outstanding theatre students are invited to join Alpha Psi Omega, the national theatre honorary.