Matthew Bessette
  • English & Theatre
  • Class of 2020
  • Lebanon, CT

Matthew Bessette Directs Play in "Short Stuff 2017"

2017 Apr 12

The directing work of advanced theatre students at Eastern Connecticut State University was on display this past weekend for "Short Stuff," an annual showcase of student-produced short plays. Written by established playwrights such as David Ives and Jon Jory, the plays featured in "Short Stuff 2017" ran the gamut of genres and themes, with all acting and behind-the-scenes functions performed by students.

Matthew Bessette '19 of Lebanon directed "The Philadelphia," originally written by David Ives. Bessette majors in English and theatre .

According to Dramatists Play Service, which permitted Eastern to use the script, "The play presents a young man in a restaurant who has fallen into 'a Philadelphia,' a Twilight Zone-like state in which he cannot get anything he asks for."

The Theatre Program has presented "Short Stuff" for more than 20 years. The short play format provides students the opportunity to further hone their talents while delighting a public audience. This year, the showcase was presented on April 8-9 in the Delmonte Studio Theatre of the Fine Arts Instructional Center.