VC 'One Acts' start with success

There was a big audience in attendance at the final dress rehearsal for the Ventura College Theatre Arts department's annual One-Act Play festival on Thursday night. The room was full with only standing room available but that did not stop the audience from enjoying the four student plays. Applause and laughter was heard throughout the night in the four plays showcased.

 Former Ventura College student Selena Valenzuela, 20, was left satisfied after watching the final play of the night, "Am I Blue."

 "I like it. I thought it was very cute," she said. "[It had] a good climax and ending."

 The opening play "Medusa's Tale" told a story of Medusa as an innocent young girl and her relationship with Poseidon that eventually led to her infamous status. "Medusa's Tale" was full of intense and dramatic pieces.  

 In the night's audience acclaimed play, "The Least Offensive Play in The Whole Darn World," brilliant comedy was displayed. The clever jokes really got the audience laughing out loud. 'Darn World' was set up like an infomercial selling a product to a studio audience. This "product" was a device that would replace the not-so-friendly parts of a play with more appropriate content. In an example of Hamlet, the fight scene's swords were replaced with pool noodles to the effect of uproarious laughter; the audience did not stop laughing until the play was over.

 The final two plays, "Ode to Gwen Stacy" and "Am I Blue," were well written as the audience was hooked on the plot of each one.

 In "Ode to Gwen Stacy" a young man, Oliver, breaks the fourth wall as he tells the audience about this woman he loves but is afraid to talk to her. As Oliver continues, Alison, a sweet girl who likes Oliver comes in and leading Oliver to make a tough decision.

 "Am I Blue" tells the story of two teens that unexpectedly meet and end up hanging out the entire night forming a bond between the two. Ashbe and John go back to Ashbe's house were the two continue their conversation were they learn more about each other: the good, the bad, and the crazy things.