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Winter Shorts, Thawed

Kat Reichert, CLA Public Information Office
October 1, 2025
cla-pio@alaska.edu

After several years away, the stage lights of Winter Shorts are shining again. The UAF Student Drama Association (SDA) has revived the tradition, bringing with it two engaging one-act plays and a renewed sense of student-led creativity.

For faculty advisor Kade Mendelowitz, the production is woven into UAF’s theatre DNA. “Winter Shorts was already established when I arrived in 1993,” he said, recalling how generations of students cut their teeth by directing, designing, or managing their first productions there. That foundation is exactly what SDA President Seamus Knight and Vice-President Macy Waarvik wanted to restore. Knight explained, “Over the last three years, we gradually gained enough members where we could achieve student-directed plays again. Macy and I decided to take the plunge as SDA’s officers to resuscitate this missing link.”

This fall’s lineup pairs two striking works: 100 Love Letters I Never Sent by Adam Szymkowicz, directed by Waarvik, and Late: A Cowboy Song by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Knight. Though different in form—one a collage of heartfelt monologues, the other a lyrical drama about identity and belonging—both serve as showcases for student vision.

That vision has demanded growth. Waarvik, making her directorial debut, admitted she wasn’t sure she was ready. “This is my directorial debut, and learning how to direct has challenged me, but in a lovely way, in a way that pushes me to learn and grow.” Beside her, Taylor Kamrath, stage manager for 100 Love Letters, has found her own confidence by helping peers bring their ideas to life. “What I’ve been enjoying most about working on Winter Shorts so far is being able to support my friends with their visions,” she said. The two perspectives, one leading and one supporting, illustrate the blend of independence and collaboration that defines Winter Shorts.

For actors, the condensed rehearsal schedule has brought a different kind of challenge. Deyanira Van Acker, cast as Mary in Late: A Cowboy Song, had just over three weeks to learn nearly an entire play. She described the pace as demanding but also deeply personal: “Performing in a student-directed piece, such as A Cowboy Song, feels more personal to me compared to a department-led show.” With only a handful of cast mates, she added, rehearsals felt intimate and trusting—an environment that made her first time in a lead role turn from daunting to rewarding.

Mendelowitz has seen those pressures turn into opportunities. He calls Winter Shorts “tremendously valuable” because it offers students a safe but serious arena: new actors face fewer lines and simpler blocking, designers test ideas on a smaller canvas, and directors learn how to carry a vision from the page to the stage. Looking at this year’s revival, he said simply: “I’m just so proud of them doing it.”

That pride is grounded in clear signs of growth. Knight admitted he’s discovered strengths he didn’t expect while directing Late: A Cowboy Song. “A lot of the communication skills I struggled with are disappearing,” he reflected, noting that he’s learning when to step forward with initiative and when to listen. Waarvik, meanwhile, has found herself gaining confidence she never thought she’d have. “If you told me a couple of years ago I would be directing a one-act in college, I don’t think I would have believed you,” she said. And for Van Acker, carrying a lead role has been about leaning on trust—proof, as she put it, that the show feels “more personal” than anything she’s done before.

These stories echo what Mendelowitz sees as the real strength of UAF’s Theatre & Film Department: its willingness to hand students responsibility and see what happens. Knight agreed. “If there’s ever been a Theater program willing to support literally anything you propose doing, it’s Theatre UAF,” he said. That support, paired with the determination of its students, has transformed a once-dormant production into a vibrant stage for experimentation.

For audiences, Winter Shorts promises variety—love letters that are funny, silly, and human, followed by a cowboy story that grapples with identity and family. For students, though, it’s something larger: a rehearsal not just for theatre, but for leadership, trust, and resilience.

The curtains open October 9–12 at the Salisbury Lab Theatre, with free admission for UAF students and $10 general admission for the community. Tickets are available at the door. Seating is first-come, first-served, and with the buzz around its revival, the house is likely to fill quickly.

Once a tradition, Winter Shorts now feels like a rite of passage for a new generation. Mendelowitz observed that Theatre & Film has always aimed to create “thinkers” as much as performers. This fall’s revival proves that mission endures: when students take the lead, they don’t just stage plays, they uncover their own potential.