On Saturday April 12, Elon student-run theater company NewWorks had its opening night of its student-written play “Captain’s Log.”
The play, which was written by Elon senior Graham Cole and ran until April 13, follows two freshman college students, Adrianna and Barry, with social anxiety navigating college life.
Cole said he had found the inspiration for the play after coming to college and realizing that it was not what he expected.
“I feel like a lot of stories about college fall into the same narrative of like, ‘These are the best years of your life,’” Cole said. “ And when I went to college, I realized that was not the case to me.”
Cole also said he hopes people watching the play can relate to its themes of loneliness and navigating new environments.
“I hope that even if people aren't able to relate to it, that they can get an understanding of the stories that we tell about college,” Cole said. “The way that we are told college is navigable isn't the case for everyone.”
Senior Grace Minton, the director of “Captain's Log,” said the inner monologues of the two main characters play a significant role in understanding the characters.
“We get into those thinking processes,” Minton said. “It shows like, ‘Oh, it seems like everyone else has it together and is not as stressed out as you are,’ but that is not the case.”
Elon junior Maggie Blakeney, who plays Adrianna, said she wanted to join the play because of her love of theater.
“I've done theater my whole life, and being in college, you have to take advantage of the opportunities that are offered,” Blakeney said. “Just being back in the theater and acting with so many people is so fun, and it brings me back to my days in high school and middle school, when I would do plays and musicals”
Blakeney also hopes students can leave relating to the characters.
“We all feel the same way, and we all just crave that human connection that Adriana and Barry desire to have for the duration of this show as they create it and grow as people and adjust coming to college,” Blakeney said. “Which is something that we've all experienced and something that's relatable and I hope that people can kind of understand that they're not alone, and not the only person feeling this way.”