This spring, the iconic characters from “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” will return to Earth, thanks to the theater department’s production of Star Wars in 60 Minutes.
Puget Sound’s high-energy geek fest has been held annually in the Rausch Auditorium for several years, entertaining casual and hardcore Star Wars fans alike.
As the title suggests, Star Wars in 60 Minutes summarizes the events spanning from Episode I through Episode VI into a snappy one-hour-long runtime. Just in time for finals, the show will act as a humorous and entertaining relief from the stress that will surely begin to weigh us down.
The show’s director, senior Mandi Wood said, “Our goal has always been to create something that is reminiscent to hardcore fans, and to keep the characters as close to the original movies as possible.”
There are certainly many characters to keep track of. The show’s relatively small cast of 10 actors assumes the roles of over 70 characters. Wood said that actors try their best to nail down the unique characteristics of popular characters like Han Solo or C-3PO and even more obscure ones like Aayla Secura, Poggle or Lama Su.
In that it’s very hard to imagine portraying seven different roles within an hour-long performance, Wood was right to describe the process as “challenging, exciting and rather impressive, when it comes down to it.”
However, some changes have been made this year. There are two new actors who have been added to the cast, replacing seniors who graduated last spring.
Wood said for many of the actors who are now graduating seniors, including herself, it will be their third and final performance of the show.
Last year, an encore was also added to the show: Star Wars in 60 Seconds. One can only imagine the ridiculousness that must ensue within that brief minute.
When Wood described the show as “the most fun anyone can have onstage,” my only concern was that I never saw much advertisement for the audition dates. For such a loud, high-energy show, I would have expected to see more posters placed around campus—food for thought for next year’s show.
Star Wars in 60 Minutes is sure to be a night of fulfilling entertainment, but don’t be misled that the show’s admission will take a toll on your wallet—the show has always been free out of courtesy to fellow Star Wars–loving Loggers.
For that reason, Wood advised that audience members should arrive somewhere within 20 to 30 minutes before the performance in order to find seats. The dates for the show will be May 2, May 3 and May 4, each starting at 9 p.m.
As Wood described it, the show is “wild, fast-paced, nerdy, energetic and explosive.” For any work-ridden student, the show sounds like it will be ample enough for many good laughs.
Personally, my night will be complete the moment I witness someone playing Admiral Akbar exclaim the famous line from The Return of the Jedi, “IT’S A TRAP!”