For the first time in the history of West Virginia Universitys Division of Theatre and Dance, plays written by theatre students will be presented on the main stage at the Creative Arts Center, duringAn Evening with WVU Playwrights,Feb. 4-12.

Weve always produced new plays by our talented playwrights, but in our Laboratory Series in the smaller Vivian Davis Michael Theatre,said Margaret McKowen, chair of the Division of Theatre and Dance.The level of playwriting from our students has been exceptionally high in recent years, so we decided to present these plays in the Gladys G. Davis Theatre during 2004-2005 and called for play submissions from our students and recent graduates.

McKowen said that so many worthwhile plays were submitted that the Division will produce two evenings of the plays in repertory. One evening will be devoted to a single, full-length play and another evening will be devoted to four one-act pieces.

The full-length play isBleeding in the Dark,by recent theatre graduate Jeremiah Munsey. It will be performed on Feb. 5, 8 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. and on Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. in the Gladys G. Davis Theatre.

The three shorter pieces include:Delirious Echoes of Gunshots and the Queen of Spades,by current graduate student Nick Lopez;The Phone Call,by former student Jocelyn Hetrick;Dear Bob, From a Loner,by Munsey; andDaydreams,by current graduate student Max Arnaud. These productions will take place in the Gladys G. Davis Theatre during Feb. 4, 9 and 11 at 7:30 p.m. and on Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. For the evenings of one-act plays, the local bandFake Eddiewill perform. The Feb. 6 matinee will be interpreted for the hearing impaired.

In addition, McKowen said, a double bill of new plays will also run concurrently in late-evening productions in a Laboratory Theatre Series in the Vivian Davis Michael Theatre. These includeTinytown Girl,by undergraduate theatre student Ethan Cunningham, andAll Sales Final,by undergraduate James Froemel. These pieces will be performed on Feb. 4 and 5 at 10 p.m. and on Feb. 6 at 4 p.m.

All the plays are being directed by student directors and all the roles are being acted by student actors,McKowen said.Also, all the design elements, such as scenery, costumes and sound, are being designed by student designers.

MunseysBleeding in the Darkis set in Morgantown and is based on true events. Three friends witness a horrific late-night hit-and-run accident, which causes them to reexamine what they believe, their relationships to each other and the influence that the culture of their college town has on their lives. The experience also sets them on a journey toward inevitable and overwhelming violence.

Delirious Echoes of Gunshots and the Queen of Spades,by Lopez, is about an insomniac graduate assistant who hallucinates during a lecture class and creates comic havoc as he conjures up a beautiful Queen of Spades and takes the audience on a renegade jazz riff that ends in gunshots.

The Phone Call,by Hetrick, is about a newspaper columnist who writes spiritual advice, but who has come to believe in nothing. As she sets out on her usual, routine-driven journey to her office, she runs into a series of unnerving and bizarre events, including one that forces her to come to terms with her own faith and to place her trust in a stranger.

Dear Bob: From a Loner,also by Munsey, is about a loner who finds the wallet of a young woman while on his daily walk and becomes instantly smitten with the photograph on her drivers license. Consumed with the need to contact her, he begins writing her letters, making a rare foray outside the confines of his solitary world.

Daydreams,by Arnaud is a black comedy that takes us into the delusional, hallucinogenic mind of a 32-year-old mamas boy and video game enthusiast. It traces his passage into manhood, with a sudden detour into mass murder.

CunninghamsTinytown Girlis set around a campfire in the woods where all the local country boys meet and bond. A girl, who stole the heart of one of the campfire boys, joins the group and confronts her old lover.

All Sales Final,by Froemel, is about a young mans attempt to settle a gambling debt by prostituting himself to Wilma, an older woman. The awkward sexual encounter journeys from physical gratification and monetary emancipation to an unearthing of the power of touch to heal the soul.

All the plays are for mature audiences only. The one-act plays in the Vivian Davis Michael Theatre, which seats 50 to 75 people, will be presented free of charge. Seating will be open and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

AnUpfront&Backstagepre-show presentation will take place prior to the Feb. 6 matinee performance of the one-act plays at 2 p.m. This presentation, which begins at 12:30 p.m., will allow the audience to meet the people behind the scenes, tour backstage and visit the shops where scenery, props and costumes are built. The presentation will begin in the lobby of the Gladys Davis Theatre.

In addition, there will be a Post-Show Panel Discussion following the Feb. 10 evening performance of the full-length playBleeding in the Dark.During this discussion with the director, designers and company, the audience will have an opportunity to ask questions, make comments and discuss the process of bringing the play to life.

Tickets for the main-stage shows in the Gladys G. Davis Theatre are $11 for the general public and $9 for WVU faculty and staff, senior citizens, students and children.

For tickets or more information aboutAn Evening with WVU Playwrights,call the Mountainlair or CAC Box Offices at 304-293-SHOW. For information about any of the plays, including the free one-acts in the Vivian Davis Michael Theatre, call the Division of Theatre and Dance at 304-293-4841 ext. 3120.