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Benefiting the Traverse Square Tutoring Program, three one act comedies are sharing the stage this weekend in the ’92 Theatre. Even the unexpected intrusion of a rabid bat could not hinder their performance.

The three plays, "The Bald Soprano" by Eugene Ionesco, directed by Jeff Zorabedian, "The Bear" by Anton Chekhov, directed Roberta Pereia, and "What She Found There" by John Glore, directed by John Glore, are part of the Benefit Festival of Plays, organized by Beth Gardiner ’02. 

"I’m very interested in using theater, not only as a way to explore artistic themes, but as a vehicle to benefit other people in the community, people who don’t necessarily have anything to do with theater," Gardiner said. "In every play I’ve directed at Wesleyan, I’ve tried to use the play to inform the audience a little about a local charity and raise money for the charity as well."

Gardiner, who has directed two plays at Wesleyan, chose the Traverse Square after-school program as the charity for this weekend’s festival.

"This program was started and is run by Wesleyan students," Gardiner said. "They volunteer as mentors and tutors, hanging out with the kids, helping with homework and arts and crafts projects. They could use help getting enough supplies for arts and crafts projects as well as just genral stuff needed to run an after school program."

Everybody involved with the festival tried to find local Middletown businesses to donate money in exchange for an advertisement in the program. 

While the three plays rehearsed independently over the past month, they came up with unified budgets, lighting and set designs.

Michael Miller ’02 worked as the lighting designer for all three productions. 

"There was one basic light layout used for all shows," Miller said. "The challenge was to end up with three distinct looks for all three shows."

Miller said it got a little hectic coordinating between the three shows, especially during tech week.

"There was a long 14 hour day I worked one time last week," he said.

Maggie Burbank, the stage manager for "What she Found There," agreed that it was really hard coordinating between all three shows.

"Each show is really different from each other, different in terms of genre, style and in their technical aspect," Burbank said. "But it was cool to have them come together."

During tech week, the festival hit an unsuspected snag when the entire cast and crew of the shows had to be evacuated from the ’92 Theatre, right before they were going to start their first dress rehearsal on Tuesday.

Workers, who have been remodeling the ’92 Theatre and the Chapel right next door, found a dead bat in the chapel.

According to Merry Alderman ’01, a member of Second Stage, the bat tested positive for rabies and the school evacuated both the ’92 Theatre and the Chapel.

"The exterminators checked the theatre and didn’t find any other bats, so they were okayed to come back in," Alderman said.

That was at 10:30, and by that point it was too late to start a dress rehearsal.

Besides sharing lighting and set designers, two shows also shared an actress. Elizabeth Ware ’03 appeared in "The Bald Soprano" and "What She Found There." It was an experience she doesn’t wish to duplicate any time soon.

"Doing two plays at once is akin to committing suicide," Ware said. "I had rehearsal two to three hours a night for each play."

Despite the large demand on her time and energy Ware said overall it was a good experience and she was glad she was involved. 

"However, I don’t think I’ll be acting in another play for awhile. I have to worry about getting up my grades and my sanity," Ware said.