"At First Sight" premieres at Wells-Metz Theater

Students Kelly Lusk and Nathan Alan Davis premiered their original plays, “(a love story)” and “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea,” Friday and Saturday night at the Wells-Metz Theatre.

The plays are part of “At First Sight: A Repertory of New Plays,” which correlates with the revival of IU’s MFA playwriting program.

“(A love story)” centers around three couples struggling to define what love really is and how it can be achieved.

Senior cast member Jacque Emord-Netzley said the opening night went very well and that she thoroughly enjoyed performing in front of the Wells-Metz Theatre’s full house.
“The audience had a lot of energy and seemed really into the production, and all the feedback I’ve heard has been really positive,” Emord-Netzley said. “It just felt great to finally allow people to see what we’ve all be working on.”

“Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea” premiered Saturday. The show tells the story of Dontrell, an intelligent boy from Baltimore who dreams of his ancestor falling into the sea and has an unexplainable urge to go out and find him.

Yusuf Agunbiade, a freshman studying theater and drama, plays Dontrell in the show. He said the cast’s first night performing in front of a live audience was exhilarating, and he was so happy to have shared it with his fellow cast members.

“The vibe that we started with going on the stage was enormous,” Agunbiade said. “That was due to the unity that all of the cast members felt with one another, and it really helped with the performance as a whole. No matter what happened during the play, there was a trust built from the cast that helped give a very astounding and memorable performance.”
Jessica Evans, a sophomore studying theater, attended the latter show’s opening night and said she enjoyed the play for its dramatic and visual elements.

“I loved the colors and how they played together in the play,” Evans said. “I also loved the use of costume and how the actors used it to change character.”

“(A love story)” and “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea” will continue to run through Saturday as part of the repertory. Agunbiade said he hopes to keep the energy the cast built around its first show going until the final production.

“Overall, I felt really incredible about the show, and the feedback we received afterwards definitely reassured me that we made a huge impact on the audience that we had,” he said. “I hope to see the same passion and enthusiasm from the cast members as it was tonight and the same packed crowd who are ready to witness a magnificent piece of work for the rest of the performances.”