Goshen College Theater Department’s theme for 2011-2012, Strangers No More, is inspired by Mennonite hymn with the same title. The fall theater season starts with the Homecoming One Acts this weekend. Producer Doug Caskey said, “We want to give the theme new looks from different angles. The One Acts will open the season with lots of humor.” Three student-directed plays will be performed, including Overtones, by Alice Gerstenberg, directed by Aaron Kaufmann, a senior; Here We Are, by Dorothy Parker, directed by Emily Bowman, a senior; and Time Flies, by David Ives, directed by Josh Hofer, a fifth-year.

“What would you do if you could hear the inner thoughts of those around you?  Do you know what the person sitting next to you is thinking?  Would you relate to him or her differently if you did?" Kaufman mused. In Overtones, Kaufmann invites us to join a “(not so) quiet teatime chat” of two ladies whose true thoughts and feelings are in conflict with their behavior.

When describing Here We Are, Bowman said, “What happens to the couple after all the flowers and congratulations and huge buildup to the big day?  For some, it marks the new beginnings of a lifelong love, others, a realization that ‘till death do us part’ is one eternity of a long time when three hours into your marriage, you have already run out of things to say." What will the situation in Here We Are be like? Bowman will take us on a train ride with a newly married couple to find out.

What would you do if your lifetime was squeezed into just one day? In Time Flies, we get to peek into the tiny world of two mayflies and see how they deal with their 24 hours of life. “In this show, young, naïve May and Horace encounter some 'big world' issues like their shocking mortality, friendship, and a budding romance," said Hofer when asked to describe the play.

Come and enjoy our talented students’ performances of meaningful stories filled with humorous moments on Oct. 7-9 (Friday 8:00 p.m., Saturday 4:00 p.m., Sunday 2:00 p.m) at the Umble Center. All seats are $3.00. Tickets are available at the door before each performance or in advance at the GC Welcome Center (535-7566).