This semester’s student body play on Friday, April 26, will tell a simple story of college life at BJU. The play will be filled with humor and musical numbers, Tori Conover, women’s student body president, said.
Brothers Isaac and Sam Stephens, BJU graduate students and performers of the “BJU Muses,” wrote a majority of this year’s student body play. The brothers placed second in the Bruin Nation Talent show as the “BJU Muses.” Their act included several original parodies of familiar Disney songs that presented a comedic take on the life of a BJU student.
Conover said she also contributed to the script and that the cast helped add a lot of humor. “The cast adds to [the play] their senses of humor and funny lines as we rehearse,” she said. The Stephens brothers will be performing in the play alongside the rest of the cast. The cast consists of mostly students and one “well-loved faculty member,” according to Conover.
The rest of the cast remains a secret to the general student body until the performance itself. The play will poke fun at some of the humorous and interesting areas of life at BJU. “[There will be] lots of jokes about BJU traditions, stereotypes and recent happenings, just like all good student body plays,” Conover said.
Similar to previous programs, this semester’s play will contain several songs adapted from familiar Disney melodies. “If you know the Stephens brothers from the BJU Talent Show, you [can] probably guess it will be witty and full of parody,” Conover said.
The Stephens brothers explained that they wanted to combine what people liked about their talent show act with what students have seemed to enjoy about student body plays in the past. The brothers explained that everyone worked hard to make sure that the play is enjoyable for not just those involved but also those watching. “It’s very much something we’re hoping to give to the students as a fun experience,” Sam Stephens said. “Every decision was made with the students in mind, wondering what would make this the most meaningful thing for them.”
Laura DePace, sophomore health sciences major, said she looks forward to the play each year. “I love how creative and funny it is,” she said. “And how they poke a little fun at the school.” Jonah Lawson, junior business administration major, said that the play last year was very entertaining. “You could tell they put a lot of thought into it,” Lawson said. Sam Stephens explained that he and his brother have both had a lifelong interest in the performing arts, starting when their father filmed home movies with them growing up.
Both brothers have a great interest in theater and music and have been involved in the fine arts at BJU in several capacities.
