Polar opposite emotions

As I arrived at the John Waldron Arts Center Saturday, I was unsure what to expect because I was unfamiliar with local playwright Thomas Kristopher. But Kristopher's two one-act plays turned out to be polar opposites in the emotions they expressed. \nThe first play, "On How to Accommodate Marlo's Frying Pan," was an absurdist comedy delightful in its free form. I felt more like I was peering through a window observing a group's interactions than seeing what was planned and rehearsed. \nSeeda, a slender woman in a snug-fitting black catsuit and a purple boa, is the leader of the group that tries to decide each day who they are trying to be and what game they will play.\n"First we pretend and then we play," said Seeda, played by graduate student Amanda Renee Baker. "We have always done it that way."\nThe play was interesting because it never explained the context under which the characters were acting. It was unclear whether they were children or insane or even toys. \nThe emotions of the second play, "Loose Hog in the House of God," were at times uncomfortable. The edge of violence combined with hints of sexuality was a combination that I found disturbing. Yet this uneasiness did not distract me from enjoying an excellent play not bound by gender, race, location or time. \nKristopher wrote "Loose Hog" for a competition connected with the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival. He ended up winning the $1,000 cash prize along with a reading and production of the piece during the 19th annual festival in late March and early April. Kristopher said he wrote the play in response to Williams' "This Property is Condemned."\nThe play opens through a doorway where you see flickering lights and hear a car failing to start. The car door is slammed and the voice of a man cursing carries through the audience. This is contrasted by a young female voice whistling. \nSixteen-year-old Yinnie, played by continuing studies student Nicole Bruce,  represents youth full of sexuality and innocence. She desperately longs to leave her hometown which is located in fictional Mira County, Miss., -- virtually in the middle of nowhere. She will use any means to do this -- even through Macon, a frustrated and angry man, played by Mike Price. \nThe Rose Firebay Theater provides an intimate setting and is well-suited for this caliber of performance. Sitting in a crowd of about 25 people situated around the stage, I felt I was among comrades rather than in a large crowd of strangers. This intimacy was comforting. \nEach character was fully developed by the actors. The sense of timing and dialogue was superb throughout both shows. The only commonality of the two plays was the set, but this did not divert me from taking pleasure in both performances. The range of emotions and the overall experience was enjoyable and well worth the cost of slightly more than a movie ticket.