BPP celebrates 1980s nostalgia in ‘’80s Shorts’

Leg warmers, parachute pants and cut-off sweatshirts are back in style at the Bloomington Playwrights Project.

The BPP is celebrating the good times of the 1980s with its “’80’s Shorts” show, which features six 10-minute plays about, or set in, the ’80s.

The show opens at 8 p.m. Friday, with performances also at 8 p.m. April 3 and 8 through 10. There will also be a matinee at 2 p.m. April 4.

Tickets are $18 for general admission and $15 for students and seniors.

The six plays are chock-full of pop culture and political references. They feature everything from movie parodies to new-wave music and a nun who falls in love with an ice cream man, all in celebration of the BPP’s 30-year anniversary.

“The reason why the theater has chosen to do something about the ’80s is because this is the 30th year the BPP has been in existence,” said Director Holly Holbrook. “It’s the 30th anniversary of the theater, and the ’80s was the first decade that the BPP was here.”

Junior and actress Emily Mohler said she enjoys performing in “’80s Shorts,” although she didn’t experience the period firsthand.

“I just kind of like the collaboration of fun, funky things, because I like the ’80s,” Mohler said. “I’m pretty sure there’s some references that I’m missing, but there’s a lot of stuff that I can catch, like especially the pop culture stuff. The politics I’m not so up on, but I think a lot of other college students will catch the pop culture stuff too.”

Derrick Krober, actor and sound director, said he is excited to share the ’80s with Bloomington audiences.

“There’s just a lot of interesting energy and interesting characters,” Krober said. “I’m definitely a child of the ’80s. If you grew up in the ’80s, join the nostalgia, if you didn’t, come see what all the nostalgia was
about.