Theatre students preparing devised show ‘Art is Free’

Joel Fischer will play the part of the Senator when “Art is Free” opens Oct. 20.

The play is an original work created by Wave of Cacophony Theatre, a group of students from a devised theatre class in spring 2015, which students will perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 20-24 and 2 p.m. Oct. 25 on the Performing Arts Center Arena Stage. The show is directed by Costume Studio Director Carol Cooley and Associate Professor Jen Tuder.

The production focuses on a struggling theater company in a world where it’s “illegal to offer, agree to, or engage in an artistic act for compensation” — where literally art is free.

Joel Fischer plays the role of the “Senator,” the character who advocates for the law to make buying and selling artistic products and skills illegal.

The cast is made up of both members of the devised theatre class as well as student actors not involved in the class.

A devised play is one that is devised from a collaborative group who create the play using improvisation.

Devised work is popular among professional artists, and a lot of people are engaging in this type of theater, Tuder said.

Putting together a devised show imparts some important lessons to students about how drama functions and how a play works.

Students were inspired in devising the play by today’s online culture of downloading music and movies for free on the Internet instead of valuing the art, Fischer said.

St. Cloud State students previously performed devise plays “Batches and Cookies” in 2014 and “American Dreaming” in 2013.