For a musician, there’s nothing more satisfying than a brand-new album; for a writer, there’s nothing more gratifying than a published piece; and for a playwright, there’s nothing more freeing than getting an original play performed.

Iowa State student playwrights Kelly Bartlett, David Byrd, Ben Godar, Melissa Ham-Ellis, Greg Jerrett and ISU graduate Jason Taylor will experience that freedom this weekend, when the theater department presents its first performance of student-written plays.

“We saw the success of Jason Taylor’s pieces last year with ‘Etta Spencer’s Soul,’ and it just proved that there’s an audience for student work,” says Gregg Henry, associate professor of theater.

Last April, ISU students were invited to submit pieces to the theater department for consideration by a faculty staffed selection committee. Henry remembers 12 pieces were submitted, but only five were deemed ready for the next step.

“[The committee] was looking for the ideas that seemed to be the most fully formed, and the ones [the committee] thought could benefit from the rewrite process prior to the opening,” Henry says.

Throughout the entire summer, the authors of three of the five pieces chosen (Godar, “My Baby and I”; Byrd, “The Last”; and Jerrett, “Last Chance”), went through an extensive refining process with associate professor of theater and playwright Jane Cox.

“Some of the scripts had some readings, not with the cast that’s performing the show now,” Henry recalls.

Taylor’s play, “Nuts,” wasn’t changed from the version it was performed in for the Kennedy Center American Theater Festival two years ago, and the performance piece, “Biographies,” by Kelly Bartlett and Melissa Ham-Ellis, was fueled by only its two choreographers.

Even though Cox gave direction to the other three plays, Henry says the writers have had quite a bit of influence on the end result.

“They’ve been in most of the rehearsals,” Henry says. “Jane has been good at consulting them on everything that happens for clarification.”

Henry adds the theater department is excited about providing this opportunity for students, and regardless of the reactions they get this weekend, the department plans to make these types of performances part of the permanent theater season.

“We’re into this for the long haul,” Henry said. “Especially if this opens everyone’s creative juices and gets them writing more.”