The Experimental Theatre Company put on its signature show, “Et Cetera: A Theatre Lab,” written entirely by company members, in early September for two nights. The show has a unique format, keeping the audience engaged and on their toes.
“We call it (Et Cetera): A Theatre Lab to capture the experimental, flexible nature of our work,” says the company on its Instagram. “It’s a name that lets us house our short-form theatre under one title – so audiences know to expect variety, whimsy, and a little chaos.”
Before the shows began, the audience was given a list of the 26 short plays that would be performed in both act one and two based on the audience’s direction. Each one is written by a different member of the cast and undergoes development before hitting the stage.
“The process for this goes from audition to writing sessions for a month to the blocking sessions for a month, and then they get to perform,” Brett McGlothern, one of the companies founders said.
There were corresponding numbers that are clipped onto a clothesline at the back of the stage. When the show began, the performers asked the audience to call out the number of one of the short plays for them to perform and the cast then followed suit. When either the cast or audience yelled, “curtain,” the next number came out from the audience.
The show ended with discussion by the performers, who answered questions that the crowd members had written down during intermission. The performers revealed some of the deeper meanings within each piece.
Performer Mia Kerbs said a song she sang in the show, “Wolf in Dogs Clothing,” is reflective of her experience being perceived by others as a woman.
“I write a lot of original music, and this was by far the most vulnerable piece I’ve ever written,” Kerbs said.
Isaac Roads was asked by an audience member what his inspiration was for writing “The Ruler of Nothing,” a story about a king who rules over nothing in the end. He said, “Maybe the world, I guess … just with pretty broad, general fascist authoritarianism.”
Each of the stories was standalone. They ranged from dramatic to comedic and often involved audience participation. Some cast members wrote several, and others wrote only one.
“These plays have so much heart, so much depth and so much soul.” McGlothern said at the end of the show.
