DANBURY, CONN. — Eighteen student directors will helm short plays as part of Western Connecticut State University’s “Black Box Shorties: 10-Minute Play Festival.” The plays will be staged at 8 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 8 and 9, and at 6 and 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 10, in the Reimold Theatre in Berkshire Hall on the university’s Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. Admission will be free. Because several of the plays contain adult content, parental discretion is advised.

The 18 plays, some written by students and others by playwrights including Christopher Durang, Alex Brown and Wendy Wasserstein, represent a broad cross-section of drama, comedy, romance and some difficult topics, too.

Andrew Hendrick, a junior in WestConn’s musical theatre program and one of the one-act directors, said, “It’s great to see what students can direct as opposed to what professional directors or even the university’s theatre professors can stage. There are also stellar performances by young actors.”

For more information, call the theatre arts department box office at (203) 837-8732.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.