Student produced play succeeds

By CARTER HALL, Ranger Reporter ¦

On one chilled October evening, I found myself walking towards the Amarillo College Experimental Theatre preparing myself for another play. I always know I am in for a treat when I walk into this theatre on campus, and “The Good Night” was no different.

I put my hand on the cold metal handle of the heavy door and got ready for a play that was written by a current AC student. That is right, “The Good Night” was written by none other than AC’s own, Jason Driver! The play follows a group of people as they deal with their last night on Earth.

Driver is a phenomenal playwright and I would know, Driver himself was the first student at Tascosa High School to ever direct a play, which found major success. “The Good Night” is another work that Driver can add to his personal accomplishments.

Once I walked into the theatre, my attention quickly shifted to the stage. The design of the it was really like I had never seen before. There were three different sets all on one stage. I noticed the big things first, such as a bed, record player and a couch, just to name a few. Then came the small things, a couple of empty whiskey bottles and a bag of chips amongst other items. Everything on stage had me guessing what could happen before the show even started. I found myself studying the stage more than the program before the show, which is unusual for me.

As I was looking at the stage, a woman walked out and started sifting through a pretty good-sized stack of vinyl records. She was just looking, which had me a bit thrown off at first. The thoughts started coming to me: “What is she doing?”, “Is this apart of the play?” “OH GOSH, IT IS STARTING!” But I was wrong, she was just setting up the first scene. She put the vinyl on the record player, put the needle on it, the static started and a song I loved came on,“What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye. Now the stage really came to life to me.

Before I knew it, one of the best plays I have ever seen at AC started. By the way the first scene was written, it felt as if there was no one else in the room but me and the actors. I forgot that I was watching a play and not a movie. The flow of the first couple scenes made me wanting more.

The talented actors on stage and the great writing by Driver had me almost crying at moments. Throughout the play, there were parts where it felt as if Driver wrote exactly from my personal life. Each character carried an element or feeling that I could somehow connect to. The storyline was deep and had me thinking to myself, “What would I do if the earth ended tonight?” I could not give an honest answer, but if I had someone around like Eddie from the play I knew I would be having a blast.

The overall play was phenomenal and each scene brought a different element than the last. Anyone who saw “The Good Night” witnessed a great piece of writing and acting. The amazing props and beautiful language kept me engaged from beginning to end.

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