Festival of UNC seniors' shorts an emotional flux

After a year-long process, six UNC seniors’ works are being presented in rapid-fire mini-marathons this weekend.

The Long Story Shorts — presented by the Writing for the Screen and Stage program’s graduating class — were 10 minutes each, but none lacked in emotionality and entertainment.

“Knives Make It Personal,” written by Hannah Floyd, is a comedy about actors rehearsing for a play.

The male character, Lewis, is too much of a nice guy to kill his figurative boss, so the director tries to provoke him.

Cressler Peele, who portrays Lewis, aptly develops the character as the stereotypical nice-guy, adding comedic relief to the 10-minute short.

Of all the shorts, this one-liner driven play has the lightest underlying theme.

Though the humor in this short is witty, some of it is lost on those not familiar with acting terms, and the ending is cheesy and predictable.

Katelyn Trela’s “One Less” brings the audience back to a serious reality.

The tension between the three actresses portraying friends is palpable, as one of their friends has recently died, and it’s their first Friday dinner without her.

Anyone who has lost a loved one can relate to the need for a sense of family and continuity in spite of death, and this short definitely portrays that need.

The dialogue is sincere and painful, but the characters still joke playfully to lighten the mood, leaving audience members feeling hopeful.

“The Sixth Chamber,” written by Adam Roper, immediately opens with tension, putting viewers on edge and preparing them for the short’s emotional roller coaster.

Two men fight over a third female character. They put one bullet in a six-round gun and take turns pulling the trigger with the gun aimed at their heads.

The play makes interesting commentary on the need to “be a man,” and effectively uses flashbacks, making the show feel much longer than 15 minutes.

“The Sixth Chamber” makes audience members hate certain characters and love and sympathize with others — all in the span of a few minutes.

“Assassination of the Guard,” written by Patrick Robinson, is about a brother and sister staying up to watch the sunrise in a mountain cabin.

The brother, an attractive poet, tries to find writing inspiration while his sister picks his brain about life and love.

The brother-sister banter in this short makes it relatable and hilarious.

But the play also brings out very real themes of love and misunderstanding.

During the short, the characters drink some of their uncle’s old coffee, the origins of which are mysterious. Constant referral to the coffee leaves audience members waiting for the effects of the coffee to set in, but luckily, they don’t.

Kristen Chavez’s “Out of the Woods” carries some of the heaviest themes of the night.

The short is about a couple whose child has been kidnapped and remains missing.

The development of the short is a little slow, but has a positive resolution. The short might be harder for college students without children to relate to, but it’s eye-opening nonetheless.

“The Vinegar Syndrome,” written by Rachel Shope, drew the most laughs of any of the shorts by far.

The play is about a video editor who’s re-editing “Virgil” for a world-wide premier.

The real-life actors who portray the actors in “Virgil” skillfully manipulate their dialogue to indicate rewinding and fast-forwarding.

The short is shocking and the characters are wildly vibrant, making this short one of the best of the night.

The collection of mini-plays was a successful ebbing of emotions showing the raw talent of six young playwrights.

Contact the desk editor at arts@dailytarheel.com.