On Sept. 9, the ETSU student-led theater group, the Patchwork Players, held a potluck to welcome back returning and new members to their group. The group has been been around for several decades and has been restarted. Its most recent restart was 20 years ago and included founding members such as Professor Jonathan Taylor in the Theatre and Dance Department. The group consists of nine board members, including President Kailey Kyle, who explains that their group is welcome to anybody at ETSU.
“We don’t have traditional members, we have a board that meets weekly and reaches out to students about events coming up, the board plans things out, and we aren’t a traditional club that pays dues. Any ETSU person, student or faculty, that wants to attend our events are more than welcome to,” says Kyle.
One of the group’s board members, treasurer Alex Riegle, is a business major showing that Patchwork Players consists of all types of backgrounds. “One of the main things we focus on is giving students an outlet for creativity,” says Kyle. Vice President Hana Goss had the opportunity to write and direct a play for the group last semester “The War is Over.” They provide the opportunity to “do play readings, to read original student work, to give students the option, or time, to commit to a rehearsal schedule for the main stage productions,” according to Kyle.
The group is holding a few events this semester, according to Goss, the next event they will be holding is the 24 hour Play Festival being held on Oct. 1 and 2. The event entails writing and being able to have a performance ready within the span of 24 hours. The event starts at 3 p.m. on Oct. 1 and ends at 3 p.m. on Oct. 2 with performances following at 3:30 p.m. “It’s very exciting to do and we get a large turnout whenever we hold it every fall and spring,” says Goss. They are also holding two other events as a group this semester. On Nov. 5, they are holding a murder mystery play at 8 p.m. and on Dec. 3, they are holding an improv and cabaret event.
The Patchwork Players has a group of improv players led by Charlie Landry. They meet every Wednesday from 4:45 p.m. until 6:45 p.m. They hold auditions at the beginning of every semester and won’t be looking to fill any vacancies until the start of the spring semester, according to Landry. The goal is to hold improv performances at the end of every month on Saturday. “Pretty much just another rehearsal in front of an audience, just to show how we’re doing in front of everyone,” says Landry.
One of the large ways that the Patchwork Players give back to the theatre department is by allowing senior students to present their thesis and to provide feedback. According to Kyle, “I really enjoy helping out students with their thesis, it is one of my favorite things about the group and being able to read through the plays.” Last semester, the group held a benefit play reading of “Spring Awakening,” in which all of the proceeds were donated to one of the local domestic relief groups in Washington County. Kyle says that she hopes to hold more benefit play readings in the next year.
For more information about the group, the best way to stay in touch is by visiting their social media. The Patchwork Players can be found on Instagram @etsupatchwork and on TikTok @patchworkplayersetsu.
