As the house lights dim in the theatres of HCC’s Brandon and Ybor City campuses, the students onstage spring to life. The quiet girl from math class, or the boy you always see in the cafeteria stand in the spotlight, ready to captivate the audience. For the students of the theatre department, November is a month to showcase the hard work that was put in for the entire semester– a time to make it or break it.

On the weekend of Nov. 9, the Ybor City theatre department staged the play “Simpatico”, written by Sam Shepard. The story chronicles an emotional rivalry between two men who were once comrades and con artists on the horse-racing scene. Years after a major scheme involving adultery and blackmail, Vinnie, played by Craig Shaughness, and Carter, played by Damon Arnold, are tiring of their secrets and guilt constantly coming to call.

After Carter goes to see a woman named Cecilia, played by Brianna Anderson, who had previously had Vinnie arrested, the plot twists begin. Other actors included Simms, played by Kevin Michael Wesson, Rosie, played by Erin Helms, and Kelly, played by Kantesha Theodore.

This play had more twists and turns than a Kentucky Derby race. While the plot was a little bit hard to follow at times, the ending was one that slowly sank in once I left. “Theatre to me is recognizing the ‘Simpatico’ moments in our own daily lives. Art imitating life,” said Suzy DeVore, director and adviser of the Ybor City Theatre Club.

The set consisted of three separate locations that were distinguished by the use of lighting, and it was done very well. The student actors were fantastic, leaving me truly amazed at the talent that walks among us.

The next play that was performed to showcase the hard work of HCC theatre students took place on the weekend of Nov. 16. The Brandon campus theater students staged “The Shadow Box”, written by Michael Cristofer.

A cross section of the American family, this play follows one day in the life of three families. One person in each family is terminally ill,  putting them all into small isolated cottages at a hospice care facility. From a son losing his father, a wife losing  her husband, a daughter losing her mother, a friend losing a friend, a lover losing a lover, this story shows the range of emotions that can be felt in a single day before the death of a loved one.

Actors in the “Shadow Box” include The Interviewer, played by Zane Register, Joe, played by Rob Fernandez, Steve, Rafael Carbonell, Maggie, played by Bri Maze, Brian, played by A.J. Ealy, Mark, played by Kyle Henderson, Beverly, played by Jamie Millan, Agnes, played by Allison Schmidt, and Felicity, played by Hillary Houchens.

“The Shadow Box” has been previously performed on the HCC stage in April 1993, and again in April of 2002. Performed every decade, this play still packs an emotional punch, causing students and teachers to take notice. “I think on opening night we had over 90 people here,” said Reg Combs Poling, director and adviser of the HCC Brandon theatre department. “I was really surprised,” he added.

Theatre goers certainly did get to experience a range of emotions during the month of November. When the actors, stagehands, stage manager, and directors look back on the Fall 2013 theatre season, they will certainly be filled with pride. With a  Fall season like this one, the Spring productions are looking bright.