Under the golden, glowing string lights that hung from the light fixtures, students gathered in the Experimental Theatre with bouquets in hand, eager to watch the show. The smell of the popcorn machine wafted around the room, filling the air with the nostalgic feeling of a night at the movies.
In an intimate and personal exhibition, Skull and Dagger’s Uncaged Festival on March 8 showcased a diverse collection of student-produced work in a celebration of creativity, vulnerability and passion for the arts.
“All these pieces are written by students, performed by students, directed by students and we give them a platform to produce them and showcase them,” said Artistic Director Emerson Clarke, a fourth-year television, film and media critical studies major and theatre minor at San Diego State University.
As the lights dimmed, the audience giggled with excitement and turned their attention to the front of the room to watch humorous movie trailers from Garrett Francisco, Garrett Grosjean and Carter Tompkins-Bischel.
The night started with a bang, beginning with an abridged cut of “13: The Musical,” a comical and slightly raunchy story poking fun at pre-adolescence, directed by Skull and Dagger President Stephanie Norris and Olivia Heumann.
It was a smash hit with the audience. Actors Isabel Wirz, Sydney Cicchitto, Robert Bednar, Heumann, Norris, Ian Bartlett, Treasurer Matt Talley and Vice President Braxton Bell delivered a performance that left the audience erupting in laughter.
“Skull and Dagger is the perfect place to grow as a performer, director, technician and as an artist,” said Bell, a fourth-year theatre arts performance major at SDSU. “I met some of the best people by being a member of Skull and Dagger and by performing in various Uncaged Festivals and Dagger Productions.”
The atmosphere quickly changed for “A Mirror,” written by Valerie Sanchez and performed by Gabrielle Ocampo and Jazmine Watson, which depicted the complexities of mother-daughter relationships.
“Jackie and Wilson,” written by Co-Technical Director Danny Holmes and performed by Holmes, Eli Ruiz, Bella Brady, Co-Production Manager JJ Eccles and Ella Ramsey, followed two siblings in a family of criminals trying to make their way in the world. The scene contained themes of betrayal, loyalty and similarly to the previous act, child-parent relationships.
“Court,” by Lucien Escarguel, performed by Ashley Roche and JC Sanmarti, depicted the heartbreaking journey of a marriage breaking at the seams, and was followed by a uniquely animated short film titled “Father Brown” by Michael Kaleb Soares.
The final segment of Act I was a performance from Iota Eta Pi, SDSU’s improv club. The fast-paced, spontaneous and witty act called for requests and ideas from the audience and brought out loads of laughter, hitting a home run with viewers.
“It makes me so happy that so many people want their art shown and show up to see their friends and family perform it every semester,” Clarke said.
Act II began with a mesmerizing Folklorico medley. The twirling of the dancers’ dresses created entrancing strokes of color, while the rhythmic clicking of their feet brought everything together in a stunning visual performance.
“Loving Gods” by Co-Technical Director Amelia Simpson told three stories about people falling for someone more powerful than them, and was followed by “Glow,” a short film about grief and love by Hailey Arner de France, who made the film to honor her mother who passed.
SDSU Musical Theatre Club previewed their current production “Head Over Heels” in a fun and light-hearted musical number, followed by “Girl Talk” by Cicchitto, which juxtaposed six different girls’ thoughts on therapy, and “Hidden In the Sand,” a clowning performance from Bednar.
The final act of the night, “Closure,” was a monologue written by Ocampo and performed by Shruti Sharma. The piece’s funny and heartwarming nature ended the show with a touching message about staying soft-hearted in a tough world.
“I liked the vibes and I liked how fun it was, but I liked more than anything the experience,” said Jayden Pagsolingan, a third-year computer science major at SDSU.
“I loved how every show felt different from the last one,” said Ryan Kaufman, a third-year graphic design major with a marketing minor who came to the show with Pagsolingan. “I laughed, I cried…there was such a range of emotions, but it still was such an enjoyable night.”
As the night came to a close, Clarke bid the audience farewell with an emotional and teary-eyed speech, as it was her last Uncaged with Skull and Dagger.
“The first thing that I ever did at SDSU was perform in Uncaged,” said Clarke. “…I felt like I was supported and heard as an artist and as a student, and I’m really f****** proud of that, that I got to become artistic director and do this event.”
“Skull & Dagger has shaped my SDSU experience for the better,” said Bell. “I could not be happier that I joined this club, and that I got to have a leadership position on the board for two years.”
After the show finished, performers ecstatically congratulated one another and greeted their friends who had come to support. Warm embraces and flowers were exchanged all around the venue and that night, the Experimental Theatre was not just a stage, but a home.
