Senior Capstone Play “a small part of the interesting story” Shows at the Black Box Theatre

“a small part of the interesting story” graphic, Abigail McCurdy 

Audiences left the Black Box Theatre Friday, Saturday and Sunday contemplating senior theatre directing major Abigail McCurdy’s explorative senior capstone project, “a small part of the interesting story.” 

Going beyond the requirements for regular senior capstones, McCurdy not only directed and casted a full length show, but also wrote her own script alongside Belmont alumnus 

Teige Brewer that included six short stories that ran roughly 90 minutes altogether. 

Scene from “The Folly Problem,” Samantha Graessle

Performed on a small floor stage ringed by pieces of colorful draping the edge of the room, the six plays, “Belly of the Beast,” “Considering Jess,” “The Folly Problem,” “Crows,” “Control” and “In the Room, a Child is Sitting,” ranged from a struggling circus, a split household in the midst of war, a grieving family in Chicago, to an everyday trolley ride. 

Influenced by playwrights like David Ives, the show used naturalistic acting and situations grounded in everyday life juxtaposed with certain unnatural, exaggerated aspects which set an unsettling tone. 

Each story was cut short right at the peak of conflict, followed by a haunting melody in which the actors would perform intertwining yet rigid dances until the lights rose on a new setting. 

“What’s interesting is that none of the stories offer real closure. We’ve compared it to switching radio stations, you’re just starting to connect with these characters, you’re curious about their world, and then it’s gone. The next piece starts, and you’re pulled into something entirely different,” said Brewer.

Scene from “Considering Jess,” Samantha Graessle

Although each short story showcased completely different characters and settings, the themes and ethical dilemmas of grief, love, human emotion and the power of choice weaved throughout each short story, guided the audience into steadily more complex moral contemplations.  

“The six plays are in completely separate worlds. But there is a sense of thematic continuity and emotional rhythm that carries through. It’s almost like the audience is the one being moved through the experience, while the plays stay grounded in their own distinct cycles,” said McCurdy. 

This shared emotional rhythm created a throughline that not only connected the plays thematically, but also left a lingering impact on the audience long after each story concluded.

“I really liked how fair and raw it was, and I liked the transitions with the same sound,” said audience member Haydn Swaim. “I also really enjoyed how each story kind of left you feeling really unsettled, which made you feel like the underlying message kind of lingered with you.” 

For the amount of characters within the show, there were very few actors. The performance featured nine total, six of which played leads throughout the show and three swings who each played over 10 characters, testing the endurance of the actors. 

Scene from “Considering Jess,” Samantha Graessle

“It was definitely hard, usually when you're in a play, you're sticking to one character trying to develop that character. 
But it was very nice to do that with so many different characters and it was just so fun to play all the different kinds of people,” said Zebee Carnahan, sophomore theatre performance major acting as a lead in “a small part of an interesting story.” 

Behind the scenes, the actors also had a unique chance to develop their character through working directly with McCurdy and Brewer, who allowed for open communication and creative freedom with their characters. 

“They'd guide us by asking questions, but they always left the door open. It was never, ‘Do this exactly.’ More like, ‘What if you approached this moment from this emotional angle?’ or ‘Try this and see where it takes you.’ It made us feel like collaborators,” said Kylie Summer, theatre performance major.  

With its inventive structure, emotional depth, and collaborative spirit, “a small part of the interesting story” not only highlighted McCurdy's vision and directorial range, but also proved how powerful student-led theatre can be when it dares to challenge, unsettle and invite reflection.

“I loved the different vignette stories throughout the shows, I thought the whole thing was really interesting and well thought out, Abigail and Teige killed it,” said audience member Claire Pals. 

Closing bows of “a small part of the interesting story,” Samantha Graessle

This article was written by Samantha Graessle