Mason Korea is participating in 1,001 Plays for the first time as a Global Partner this spring. 1,001 Plays is a play festival sponsored by George Mason University’s School of Theater, connecting playwrights and audiences from around the world. This annual festival provides a platform for students to share their original 10-minute plays, scenes, or monologues with students from partnering institutions across the globe, challenging them to interpret each other’s ideas across languages and cultures.
Professor Alice Wrigglesworth, who teaches composition classes in Mason Korea’s English program, is serving as the Faculty Mentor for 1,001 Plays and sent out a “call for playwrights” last October. While Mason Korea does not offer a creative writing or drama major unlike other universities participating in the festival, Wrigglesworth believed in the creativity and potential of students at Mason Korea.
“I was thrilled to be able to support Yunah, as our first ever contributor to 1,001 Plays,” said Professor Wrigglesworth, adding, “I’m looking forward to working with more students as we move forward with the festival.”
Among the students who responded to the call was Mason Korea freshman Yunah Choi. Choi, who enjoys writing, wrote a monologue in line with this year’s theme of trust. Her piece was selected for the festival and has been assigned to one of the Global Partners (The Center for Studies in Theatre Directing and Playwriting at Santa Catarina Federal University, Brazil) who will host a staged reading of the script, Trust.
“I was elated when my monologue was chosen,” said Yunah Choi adding, “although I have never met the people who will be performing the piece I wrote, it is a privilege to be able to communicate in this way and create a piece of art together.”
Meanwhile, Mason Korea has been assigned to host a staged reading of Savannah, a script by Vincent Otieno Okech at Moi University, Kenya. The script calls for ten Mason Korea student volunteers to participate in the reading. The piece will be performed live online and followed by a talkback, allowing both students and audiences the opportunity to share, reflect, and respond.
Students who are interested in performing can sign up to participate by emailing Professor Alice Wrigglesworth (awriggle@gmu.edu) by Friday, March 4, 2022.