AMBER MATTICE
Reverb Editor
Clubs are an integral part to any college campus, as they give students a place to pursue their passions around people whom they might never get a chance to talk to otherwise. When a new one is made, it paves the way for more students to find their niche around people who share the same interests.
Play on Words, a recent addition to the campus, is essentially a book club for plays and has many students excited to see where it goes. It was created by Bailey Bass, a junior double major in theatre and public relations, because she wanted to read more plays and planned to do with a friend over Skype. She decided to invite a few friends from Fredonia, and thus a new club was born.
“We read a play a week and have a weekly discussion on that play. This is an important addition to the Fredonia campus because it allows students to explore plays in a dramatic and literary sense and allows discussions for social and political conversations relating to the play,” said Bass.
The club is open to all majors and encourages students to dive into literature and theatre that they might not experience anywhere else.
“I think what makes it unique is that it’s so flexible. The club doesn’t serve just one purpose,” said John Boughton, a sophomore theatre arts and video production double major and vice president of Play on Words. “Sure, it helps theatre majors expose themselves to new material. But the purpose of theatre, or what I think it is, is to get people to question society and its issues. So for students outside of the Theatre Department, they can gain new perspectives on ideas or issues because of the plays we read.”
Despite the club being so new to the campus, Play on Words has a lot of plans for the future. They will be hosting movie nights that correspond with the plays they will be reading and are planning for an Open Mic Night event in the future where students can come and read original works.
They are also working closely with Writer’s Ring and are hoping to get in contact with playwrights to talk over Skype about their plays and accomplishments.
Play on Words already has a fairly big membership and is hoping to get more people to join and get excited about plays.
“I really hope students make new friends and form new perspectives. I know I keep saying that, but it’s important to see all sides of the story sometimes and plays do just that,” said Boughton. “It seems [like] a great club with a great atmosphere, and I think, even if you’re not into theatre that much, theatre is just life shown to you through a performance, or in this case, reading. So if you think life is cool, then join our club.”
The club was formed in the hopes of getting more people excited about something like theatre, both in practice and in literature, in an environment where everyone within and outside of the major feels welcomed. It could be a great way to get involved on campus and delve deeper into the realm of literary drama.