Doing it for themselves

Joyce Scherer

Audrey Olsen and Frank Miashino -- both members of OCC’s Repertory

Theater Company -- have one thing in common. Both love the sound of an

audience’s laughter especially if it is because of something they have

written, directed or said.

“It is such a thrill to just say a word or make a face and have the whole

audience laugh,” said 20-year-old Olsen, a Wisconsin native who lives in

Costa Mesa.

Miashino, 23, also of Costa Mesa, says “there is nothing more fulfilling

than someone laughing at a line or a truth. It can be communal and a

healing process.”

Olsen and Miashino are two of about 50 students participating in the

theater company’s annual Spring One-Act Play Festival slated today and

Saturday and April 21-23 at OCC’s Drama Lab Studio.

The 10, one-act plays are directed, acted, staged and managed by the

students. The acts must be under 30 minutes, which means some can be as

short as five minutes and can range from two to 12 actors in the scenes.

A number of original works will be showcased along with plays from

classical and contemporary literature.

“The students do it all,” said OCC theater arts instructor Rick Golson,

who oversees the company with fellow instructor Cynthia Corley. “They do

everything, which includes the scenery, advertising, ticket sales and

ushering. The scenes are very good from the really funny to the really

profound. I am always amazed how good they turn out.”

Golson, who has overseen the program for 10 years, said many of his

company members have gone on to professional careers in the theater, TV

and films. Two former students earned an Emmy nomination for their comedy

writing.

Olsen and Miashino will present their own original plays. Olsen’s play,

“Psycho Therapy,” in which Miashino is one of the actors, is based

loosely on her own life. She says it is very rewarding to see her

characters come to life.

“We have a hysterical little 25-minute comedy about a group of crazies,”

said Olsen, who hopes to continue theater studies at Chapman University

next year. “It has moments of true reality checks and questions of sanity

that aren’t supposed to be funny. It is roughly based on my life but I am

not telling what parts.”

Miashino, who says it’s fun working on Olsen’s play because she has such

a goofy sense of humor, has co-written, “When Justice Takes a Holiday,”

with Costa Mesa resident Bruce Brown. Both men are directing the play,

which has a familiar premise.

“We have a 19-character play with 15 different actors,” said Miashino,

who hopes to go on to UCI or UC Santa Barbara. “It is about an intern who

is accused of killing a president after she is sexually harassed. It is

definitely ripped from today’s headlines, but it is more of a satire

which exposes the system than individuals.”

The students are very grateful to the leadership of Rick Golson, Miashino

said.

“He is very instrumental in guarding our growth by having a program where

we can do whatever we want and not just what he likes. He lets us explore

what we like,” she said.

And Golson says the staff does try to approve the students’ choices.

“I feel like a proud parent when I sit there and see everything they have

done. It does make me feel like I am doing my job.”

WHAT: OCC’s Spring One-Act Play Festival

WHERE: OCC’s Drama Lab Theatre, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa

WHEN: Today and Saturday and April 21-23; show times are 8 p.m. Friday

and Saturday and 2 and 7 p.m. SundayHOW MUCH: $5 at the door

PHONE: (714) 432-5640, Ext. 1.