‘Murphy's Law' will be performed again in Cape before heading to the Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival

The original play "Murphy's Law" had its premiere in April in a small theater at the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus. Next week, it will be reprised at the Rust Flexible Theatre on campus before it heads to a prestigious college theater festival to a crowd of more than 1,000.

Written by Kenn Stilson, professor of acting and directing at Southeast, "Murphy's Law" tells of the final night of a lifelong friendship between Francis Murphy and Tony -- both "made" members of a local organized crime syndicate. Set in a St. Louis suburb and filled with humor and violence, the play explores the struggle of loyalty to the job versus friendship.

"The play isn't for children; it's not a family show," Stilson said. "It's in the Tarantino vein: a violent, dark comedy, and yet it has a romantic element."

When the original cast takes the stage again next week, it will be a "warm-up" before they travel to Shreveport, La., to perform in the Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival.

The performance also will raise money for the students' travels and will give the locals another opportunity to enjoy the show, Stilson said.

Murphy, portrayed by Kyle Morr, roughs up Tony, portrayed by Michael Burrell, during “Murphy’s Law” dress rehearsal in April.LAURA SIMON lsimon@semissourian.com

During the last year, student actors Michael Burrell, Kyle Morr and Natallee Damron have had a lot of time to develop its characters. Stilson said he's enjoyed working with the students as they've helped him develop his play.

"It makes all the difference in the world, because not only have they originated these roles, they created these characters just from my script," he said. "Now that they're re-creating them for this production, they have a new opportunity to present these characters."

Burrell, Morr and Damron also were nominated for Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships and will compete against students from other universities at the festival. Students who worked on the play behind the scenes will receive recognition as well. Ryan James and Tara Meyer -- who worked on scenery and costume designs, respectively -- will be judged at the festival, Stilson said.

The festival also offers a variety of master classes, lead by veteran artists from the American theater. Students can work on new techniques and engage with theater students from across the nation.

Even though it's the same play and production, Stilson said it's "a lot more advanced." Since its premiere, "Murphy's Law" has won first place in the Southwest Playwriting Competition at Stage West Theatre in Fort Worth, Texas, where it also had a professional reading. The play also was performed in St. Louis by the First Run Theatre. Stilson said all these opportunities allowed him to receive a range of audience reactions and professional critiques, which helped him edit and "fine-tune" the play before it's performed at the festival.

Stilson said the university has participated in the festival since the late 1960s, and this is the first time the school has been invited to take a play to the regional level. Missouri is one of six states included in the region, and "Murphy's Law" is one of six participating productions at the festival.

"We couldn't be more excited," said Stilson. "We're very proud of the students for what they've done, and it's great recognition for the department."

But Stilson hopes his play will continue to reach new achievements in the future. He said he's entered scripts to other festivals across the country, where he hopes it will gain the attention of other theaters.

"The hope is that various professional companies will pick it up and it will be published with a major publisher ... and it will continue to have a long life span," he said.

Stilson also said he's considering a "Murphy's Law" screenplay, if he can find the right partner.

The Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival will be Feb. 22 through 26 at Centenary College in Shreveport.

"Murphy's Law" will be performed in the Rust Flexible Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 and 22. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased at the River Campus box office at 651-2265 or at rivercampusevents.com.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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