27th Annual Marcia Légère Student Play Festival Winners

Here By Alexandra Pleasant, Directed By Isa Leigh Alexander is a soldier that just came home. Thaddeus is the brother he left behind. And suddenly the quiet lake town of Hasten Bay is different than either of them remember. Here is a play about brothers and the way they connect and miss moments of connection, as they try to find their way back to one another.
	Alexandra Pleasant (of Minocqua, WI) is a junior studying Creative Writing and Communication Arts. This is her fourth stage play produced, her second produced by the Marcia Légère Student Play Festival. Though very much involved in the play-writing scene on campus, other recent projects include screen plays, short fiction, historic non-fiction, and the occasional poem. More often than not she can be found in a cafe on State Street drinking too much coffee and quietly murmuring lines of dialogue to herself.



A Culture of Life by Scott Harman, Directed by Daniel Crowley A young man finds that he’s been chosen to be an organ donor. The problem? He never chose to be one. He’ll save so many lives, though!
Scott Harman is a PhD Candidate in Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies at UW-Madison. His dissertation research applies concepts from the cognitive sciences to the study of acting. He has worked in Madison, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York as an actor, director, technician, designer, and teacher. His first original play, The Wendy: A Tale of Peter Pan premiered in 2015 at the world-renowned Interlochen Center for the Arts, where he is a longtime faculty member. He appeared as an actor in the 2016 Marcia Legere festival as the ghost of Charlton Heston.



Intersection Anna Mei Baker, Directed By Wesley Korpela They're almost complete strangers. Almost. When they unexpectedly meet again, two people are forced to confront the fallout from their first meeting and what comes next.
	Anna Mei Baker is a junior double-majoring in Theatre and Evolutionary/Developmental Biology. More often found on the stage than writing for it, she'll soon be seen in the upcoming University Theatre production of The Laramie Project. When she's not in rehearsal or poking viruses in the lab, she's usually studying—or more likely, procrastinating by reading and writing bizarre, abstract things. Intersection is her first play.



just in your head Sachal Siddique ali, Directed By paul tael When a stranger visits Elise with some disconcerting news about her boyfriend Lucas, she doesn't know what to believe. An uncomfortable conversation follows as the couple confronts doubts and extreme decisions. All the while, a spectre from the past lingers and watches.
Sachal Siddique Ali is a senior majoring in Creative Writing and Computer Science who at some point wandered into the UW theatre scene uninvited and then refused to leave. This is his second year as a Marcia Légère playwright and third year involved in the festival overall, and he is very excited to participate in such an awesome event once again. Outside Marcia Légère, Sachal is also an active member of both Intermission Theatre and Undergraduate Theatre Association. Currently he is desperately seeking employment so that he might have an income to support his writing addiction.



bursting the Thought bubble By wesley korpela, Directed By alexis o'Connell Mel has retired from what made her famous: a beloved daily comic strip, Haunting Jasper. Now, she is attempting to enter a new phase in her career. Unfortunately, others in her life have differing opinions on what her artistic transition should look like.
Wesley Korpela is a senior double-majoring in Theatre and Creative Writing. He is also serving as a co-producer and director in this year’s Marcia Légère Student Play Festival. This is his second year participating in the festival, after directing Time Management and acting in a fat suit the year previously. You may also know his work from the ITS 10-Minute Play Festival the past three years, in which he directed the plays A/B and Another Dutchman and wrote a play in this year’s festival, Garfield’s Calamity. When he’s not juggling too much in play festivals, he can be found relaxing in a rocking chair on a patio with a straw hat shading his eyes.