A pregnant hitchhiker, a love story and a woman who has no concept of time-they're not descriptions of the latest movies at The Princess Theater; they're the synopsis of Cloud Tectonics, a play by Jose Rivera that will be the opener for this season of Miami University's SecondStage program.
"I read this play when I was a freshman in college in an intro to theater class and it always stuck with me for reasons I couldn't really pinpoint," said Mike Mellas, a graduate student and director of the play.
Mellas explained that the play is about a young man, Anibal, who picks up a pregnant hitchhiker, Celestina, on the side of the road. Anibal takes the woman to his home for the night, where the two talk, eat and eventually fall in love. Later, Anibal realizes that Celestina has no concept of time. He learns when he leaves the house that in the night that they spent together the rest of the world aged two years. The story continues as Celestina flees, not knowing how long Anibal has left her alone.
According to Mellas, the play is a story about being lost, lonely and unsure of what life has in store. It relates the past that has been lived and the way it has led into the present as well as what the future may hold. The play is also about finding and losing true love and looking for the one thing that will make life worth living.
"It's a story about searching," Mellas said.
He added that the story relates well to the college experience.
"For me, if college is about one thing, it's about finding yourself," he said. "Looking for yourself, trying to find answers. Trying to find something, or someone, that gives meaning to your life. That's exactly what this play is about."
This will be the second play that Mellas has directed at Miami. Last year he directed a one-act play, A Dead Man's Apartment.
"After that experience, and with feedback and the blessing from the theater faculty, I started planning to direct a full-length play," Mellas said.
Mellas admitted that he has not seen a performance of Cloud Tectonics.
"I read the play several times before I ever considered directing it and I've read about productions and seen photos from other productions," Mellas said. "It's a very visual and visceral play, so reading it, and especially reading it aloud, has always brought up pictures and sounds in my head, but this will be the first time I'll see a production of it."
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Associate theater professor and scene designer Gion DeFrancesco said that although the directors can submit potential play ideas, the ideas have to be voted on both by a season selection committee and the department of theater faculty.
"The directors for the next year's season submit choices of titles and plays they are interested," DeFrancesco said. "(Mellas) was interested in exploring this particular work more in depth. We then look at things such as costumes, actors and how the plays work together as a season before submitting the choices for the faculty to vote on."
DeFrancesco added that this play is especially unique in that it will be completely designed by students.
"This is the first time that I can remember where all four areas have been students," he said. "They way they've worked together has been great to watch. Everyone (in the audience) will be able to find something that is unique or interesting or creative in this play."
Mellas said the play should live up to all expectations.
"It's cliché, but my cast and crew, nearly all students here on campus, have been fantastic to work with," he said. "I'm really excited for the show, and I hope other people are too."
Cloud Tectonics will run at 8 p.m. Feb. 6-9 with matinee performances at 2 p.m. Feb. 9-10 in Studio 88, Center for Performing Arts. Tickets are $9 for the public, $8 for senior citizens and $6 for students and youth. Tickets are available at the Miami Box Office or online at www.tickets.muohio.edu.
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