Do you like laughter? Do you like surprises? Do you like open seating?
If you answered yes to any or all of the above, you will love the upcoming Student Body program.
The Student Body program will be available for the BJU community’s viewing pleasure on Friday, April 29, at 11 a.m. in FMA.
Margaret Stegall, the director of the Student Body program and a junior studying journalism and mass communication, said this year’s program is unlike anything else that has been done on campus in recent years.
“It’s based on campus stereotypes, and I think people will be able to relate to a lot of it and see themselves and people they know in the original characters,” Stegall said.
Cameron Smith, the writer of the Student Body program and a senior JMC student, said the program follows the story of an average student’s day at college where some things go right and others go extremely wrong.
“We have a plot twist to our Student Body, so there’s a catch, and I will say it will be a surprise for the student body and even some cast members on the day of [the program],” Smith said.
The secret plot twist was created by Colton Beach, a junior theatre arts major who assisted in directing and creating the music.
Beach introduced the crazy, mysterious idea to Stegall and Smith.
They, along with Chelsea Moss, also a JMC senior, started writing the basic script back in September.
In addition to producing the program, Stegall and Smith will also be acting in the program.
“It’s been cool to see it come to life and adapt as we see things happen on campus or as our cast adds things to their characters,” Stegall said.
Smith, who wrote a lot of the dialogue and specific scenes, said he is not the type of writer who thinks the script is set in stone. “It’s an ever-changing script,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to the spontaneity of it,” Smith said. “We can rehearse and we can run our lines as many times as we possibly can, but it isn’t until you get on that stage in front of 1,500 to 2,000 other students, and you get to feed off their energy and their laughter—that’s when it really comes alive.”
“Once the lights go up, you don’t know what’s going to happen, and that’s kind of the best part,” Smith said.
The producers are striving for a funny program that is very relatable to the audience through timely jokes about current events and general student life experiences.
Stegall said she, Beach and Smith are constantly communicating through a group text to incorporate real, campus life happenings into the anticipated Student Body program.
“I hope going into it, the students can appreciate the attempted natural humor we’re trying to create,” Smith said.