Thursday through Sunday, the Varner Lab Theatre will be showing two plays written by Oakland University students: “Take my Advice” by Chelsea Manasseri, and “For all the Tea in Boston: A Semi-Accurate Account of History” by Jay Foune.

The plays began as semester-long projects in Kitty Dubin’s advanced playwriting class, which consists of hand-picked students from her beginning playwriting classes.

“Both plays have gone through several drafts with feedback and rewrites with the class,” Durbin said. “It’s gone through three or four major drafts, plus the writers probably tweak them once actual production begins.”

When Oakland’s stage directing class had a chance to look at the two plays, they were excited to work with them for their own final projects.

“I think they enjoy and appreciate each other’s work,” Durbin said.

The two plays were quickly chosen to be performed by a student cast in Varner Hall.

“I’m excited and I hope everyone comes to see it,” said Manasseri, who admits that this is the success she has been waiting for. “I’ve wanted to have [a play] put on for a long time, I wrote my first book when I was six.”

“Take my Advice” tells the humorous story of a marriage councilor whose own marriage is beginning to hit rough times.

“For all the Tea in Boston” is described by Foune as a “historical comedy.” It is a retelling of the Boston Tea Party with the humor stemming from the American revolutionaries outrage at having to pay two more cents for tea.

“I’m big into history and I kicked around a few ideas and this is the one that worked,” Foune said.

“Jay showed a lot of originality and a lot of perseverance in terms of his scripts,” Durbin said. “Chelsea, too, would come up with lots of different ideas. I’m impressed with these writers, working to make these plays the best they can be.”

“Plays that are student directed, student written, student acted, is something really new for Oakland,” Dubin said. “The fact that it’s going to this degree is a great success.”

These two performances could be the beginning of a new level of success for Oakland’s drama and writing programs now that original works by Oakland students are starting to be picked for performances both on and off campus.

Both plays will be performed Thursday through Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. in Varner Lab Theatre. Tickets will be $3.00 at the door.