THELAKER | 9 From left, Tori Armstrong, Benjamin Clovis, and Juan V. Espana II ’20 rehearse “The Maltese Walter.” Alumni join cast of ‘The Ragged Middle’ production e spring mainstage production is not one play, not two, but 14 short plays gathered under the title: “ e Ragged Middle: Twisted Tales of In nity and Powdered Donuts.” Jim Perri, technical director and production manager for the Visual and Performing Arts Department, took inspiration for the o -beat approach from “ e Twilight Zone,” a science ction TV series that ran from 1959 to 1964. e plays are a mix of dramas and comedies, some by award-winning playwrights, and four that Jim wrote. He read about 100 short plays before narrowing the eld to 40. “Once the actors were chosen, they had a say in whittling down the scripts,” he said. “ ey were able to o er the top three roles they wanted to play.” Jim also had some practical reasons to stage an anthology. Not every cast member is in every play. is makes it easier to make adjustments if someone falls ill. It also makes for exible rehearsals, allowing for participation by alumni whose theater experiences were cut short by COVID-19. Four of the 12 cast members are alumni: Ben Koeberle ’15 of Clyde, Juan Espana II ’20 of Penn Yan, Julia Corsner ’22 of Geneva and Julia Diamond ’22 of Interlaken. Ben, a theatre arts graduate, is also a current student, having returned in 2021 to get an accounting degree. ` “When I heard about the opportunity to be in the spring production, I jumped at the chance. It has been quite a journey getting to know and work with everyone in the cast and crew,” he said. “I’m hoping this production will be a steppingstone in future acting and theater projects following my time at FLCC.” Ben is performing in three plays, including one of Jim’s called, “Find Your Center.” Jim also wrote “Dead Ringer,” “Dynamic Duo,” and “ e Middle Space.” Plays by other authors are “ e Best Escape” by Carolyn West, “[PG]” by Nat Gruca, “Boxed In” by Ben Kingsland, “Genesis” by Donald Tongue, “If the Shoe Fits” by Tim Bohn, “Hold For ree” by Sherry Kramer, “Something in Common” by Robin Pond, “ e Maltese Walter” by John Minigan, and “Best Lei’d Plans” by Kelly Younger. e latter three plays were published in “ e Best Ten-Minute Plays of 2016.” e show includes an improvised piece called “Beautiful Day.” e remaining cast consists of Victoria Armstrong of Honeoye, Gayle Burke of Trumansburg, Benjamin Clovis of Stanley, Clara Elwell of Naples, Blythe Hodgson of Ithaca, Liam Hule of Canandaigua, Christopher Kalen of Farmington, and Red Steiner of Bloom eld. e crew includes Kathryn Snyder on lighting and stage management, Brandon Wyand on sound and scenic construction, Skye Wyand on scenic art, Je Kidd on video and Sarah Spindler on costumes. Performances are in the main campus auditorium for four shows: 7:30 p.m. on April 6 and April 7, and 2 and 7:30 p.m. on April 8. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for seniors and non-FLCC students and free with an FLCC ID. From left, Ben Koeberle ’15, Chris Kalen, Clara Elwell, and Julia Corsner ’22 rehearse the short play “[PG],” one of 14 plays in the production “The Ragged Middle” running through April 8. PHOTOS BY RIKKI VAN CAMP
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