Theatre major Arianna Jenks will direct her senior capstone project, “Sorry, Wrong Number” and “Blind Date” at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 28, 30, 31, and Nov. 1, in Performance Hall at Bob Jones University.
“Sorry, Wrong Number” is a one-act story by Lucille Fletcher, a prolific writer who once wrote a play for Orson Welles. It is a thrilling drama about a woman who overhears a plot to murder someone over the phone. She races against time to try to stop it and is shocked when she learns who the intended victim is. “Blind Date” on the other hand, is a one-act comedy by Horton Foote where a well-meaning aunt tries to set up her reluctant niece on a date.
The show is a presentation of the BJU Theatre Department.
Jenks is originally from Burke, Vermont, where she developed her passion for acting at a local children’s theater. She was involved in six musicals from her middle school years to early high school, including “Beauty and the Beast,” where she played Chip. When she came to BJU as a freshman, she was a social studies education major with a theatre minor.
“I liked my major, but I didn’t love it,” Jenks said. Her friends and a few professors encouraged her to consider pursuing a degree in theatre. She switched during the second semester of her freshman year.
Jenks’ performance career at BJU is notable and varied. Those who saw last year’s fall performance of “Cyrano de Bergerac” would recognize her as Roxane, the most prominent role Jenks has played. Her first Rodeheaver Auditorium performance was “Romeo and Juliet” during her sophomore year, in 2023. Later that spring, she performed in a unique production of “Our Town.” Her junior year, Spring of 2025, she was the assistant director for the production of “Sense and Sensibility.” Jenks also participated in several Bake-Offs and worked on the crew of a few shows, such as “The Sound of Music.”
When choosing her capstone project, she read through many one act plays and chose two that would balance each other out. “Sorry, Wrong Number” is a thriller, and “Blind Date” is a comedy. About 30 people participated in the production of these two plays: 10 in the cast, and the rest on the set, lighting, audio and costume design.
“I think one of my favorite parts of directing is being able to help the actors grow,” Jenks said, “And seeing the moment where they ‘get it,’ whether it’s understanding their character or finally reaching the connection point between script, character, and bringing it to the stage.”
Jenks’ goals for the immediate future include marrying her fiancé and working with a small theater. She wants to give other children the same experience she had as a child. Her “dream of dreams” is to one day act in movies. She thanked the theatre department and her teachers for shaping her education into such a memorable and life-changing experience.
Tickets for “Sorry, Wrong Number” and “Blind Date” are available on Showpass.
