Student Onyae Randall Directs Student-Produced Play

2017 Oct 25

The "Phoenix New Play Series" is an annual theatre program at Eastern Connecticut State University that takes a student-written work and adapts it into a student-directed play. On Oct. 21, McKenzie Fayne's "The Life of Dawson Radlaw" was brought to life by fellow student Onyae Randall. The minimalist play was performed by a cast of nine student actors in the Del Monte Studio Theatre of Eastern's Fine Arts Instructional Center.

Randall '19, director , resides in Milford and majors in Theatre.

"The Life of Dawson Radlaw" focuses on the themes of love, loss and family as the the main character, Dawson, navigates scenes of his life at different points in time. Fayne commented, "Seeing my story taken from page to stage was a surreal and humbling feeling."

"I learned about 'Phoenix' my freshman year when I had the opportunity to act in a 'Phoenix' production," said Randall. "That's part of what sparked my interest in directing." She noted that having Fayne stand in on some rehearsals brought great feedback and provided a unique opportunity for creative conversation. "There was a certain beauty to the amalgamation of this learning process. I think that's what education is really about."

Fayne concluded: "My hope is that the audience felt the pain, as well as joy, that Dawson feels in each particular moment. Every experience, whether good or bad, shapes you into the person you are; that's a message I hope is taken away from this story."