Students at Ashford University will present “All in the Timing,” a grouping of six one-act plays 
written by David Ives, on Friday, October 31, 2014, and Saturday, November 1, at 7:30 p.m. in the recently renovated Mullany Theater.
Kris Doss will direct the production while Nick Divarco will offer technical direction and lighting design. All roles in the six plays will be performed by students Leah Coenen, Fremont, WI; Charley Holsinger, Stillman Valley, IL; Dominique Kelley, Gary, IN; Rebecca Meinema, Zeeland, MN; Erich Taach, Glauchau, Germany; Samantha Walter, Madrid, IA.
The first act, “Sure Thing,” features Bill and Betty as they try to find love in a cafe.
The second act, “Words, Words, Words,” explores what three monkeys named Swift, Kafka, and Milton might say during an experiment, in which they are left in a room with three typewriters.
“The Universal Language,” the third act, follows Dawn as she heads off to learn Unamunda, a universal language. She meets Don who begins to lead the lesson. “She reveals her past issues with a stutter and uses this to try to fix herself, while Don has started this as a con,” Doss said. “This becomes a story of whether love can overcome.”
In the fourth show, “Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread,” minimalist composer Philip Glass heads into a bakery to buy a loaf of bread, but he sees a woman he once loved. This sparks a world of imagination inside his head.
Of the fifth act, Doss said, “The Philadelphia” is “a show that is something we can all relate to. We have all had the friend where everything seemed to be going their way, while your day was just the opposite–nothing could go your way. This show takes it to a whole new level with Al and Mary, who are in their own little world during this show–one completely relaxed, and the other freaking out at what could happen next. This one will show the journey of being able to make the best out of a bad situation.”
The final show, “Variations on the Death of Trotsky,” takes place after Leon Trotsky’s exile at his home in Mexico. He and his wife go through many scenes in which he has died. “Each of these variations asks why or how this could’ve possibly happened, as well as addressing that sometimes we all may be afraid of the wrong thing….Most importantly, there is always hope to come out of a situation,” the director said.
Doss graduated from the University of Dubuque with a B.A. in Theatre and a B.S. in Psychology. He works for the Clinton Area Showboat Theater in the box office and as a director for its Christmas production. Doss directed Ashford University’s production of “Clue” during the Spring 2014 semester.
“All in the Timing” is open to the public. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Ashford students will be admitted for free by showing their student ID card.