The theatre department reprises one production from the summer season to open the academic year because otherwise, the school would not be able to present a play until late September. Auditions are held the week before classes begin and students need time to rehearse and build costumes and sets.

Reprising a production has challenges. The production should look exactly the same in August as it did in June, and stage manager Emily Hankins, a second-year transfer student in the BFA Stage Management program, is charged with that responsibility.

“As the stage manager, I find the remount challenging because we have been away from the show for some time. I have the responsibility of ensuring that the show carries on as the director intended.”

“Deathtrap has many onstage difficulties such as stage combat and special effects. This show is also tense and tough on the actors but the cast is wonderful in preparing and keeping the energy at a high level.”

A good stage management team is crucial to the success of a production. Coordinator of the Stage Management program Molly McCarter says, “The artistic and technical sides of a production speak different languages. The stage manager bridges the gap and acts as the translator between the departments.”

“With a show like Deathtrap that is complex and has weapons, this becomes a safety issue and that ability to translate becomes more vital.”

Director Be Boyd says “The Deathtrap rehearsal and performance process has been supported by a very strong and unified team. We have been extremely fortunate to have them. Each one brought a unique set of skills to the show.”

“The team was led by Emily Hankins, who’s a top-notch leader—she makes great decisions under pressure, keeps everyone in line and does it all with grace and dignity. [Assistant stage manager] Jessy Reaves’ previous experience with the show proved to be a wonderful resource for the team. [Assistant stage manager] Christa Arzon’s attentiveness to the props and weapons helped to create a smooth transition for the actors from the rehearsal space to the stage.”

The 1978 play by the author of Rosemary’s Baby holds the record for the longest running thriller on Broadway. It received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play when it premiered and has been adapted into a film.

“Levin was masterful at creating parallel stories that overlap in unique and clever ways,” said Boyd. “If you love a good plot twist, appreciate a great wordsmith, are fond of suspense, or have a keen sense of humor, you’ll enjoy Deathtrap.”

Theatre UCF is on the UCF campus near the intersection of ����ֱ�� Boulevard and Alafaya Trail in east Orlando. Performances begin at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. on Sundays.

To purchase tickets or for ticket information call the box office at 407-823-1500. Standard tickets are $20 ($17 for seniors; $10 for students) and group rates are available. It is recommended to purchase tickets in advance, available through the Theatre UCF box office. UCF offers accommodations to make the theatre more accessible to patrons with disabilities; for assistance, call the box office in advance.

Production at a glance:

Deathtrap

By Ira Levin

Directed by Be Boyd

August 23, 24, 25 at 8:00 pm

August 26 at 2:00 pm

Main Stage Theatre

Price: Standard $20, Senior $17, Student $10; Group discounts available

Address: 4000 Central Florida Boulevard, Orlando FL 32816

Box Office Phone: (407) 823-1500

Box Office Hours: Monday through Friday:�� noon to 5 p.m. and 2 hours before performances������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

For more information about Theatre UCF, visit .

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But now that the ����ֱ�� is going smoke-free, so is the 42-year-old campus employee. With UCF’s help, Nayfeh is kicking the habit he started at 19.

“My kids are happy for me, too,” said Nayfeh, who works in lab support and property control for the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science.

UCF is joining hundreds of colleges and universities around the nation that have a tobacco and/or smoke-free policy in place. The new initiative begins the first day of the fall semester – Monday, Aug. 20 – and applies to employees, students, visitors, vendors and others while on UCF-owned or leased properties, including university vehicles.

The initiative was put into motion last year by President John C. Hitt to encourage healthy lifestyles and change the university community’s behavior so that everyone’s right to clean air is respected. (The /smokefree website has FAQs, information about smoking-cessation classes, a schedule of workshops to learn about the policy, and how to submit a question about the policy.)

Another campus employee, Molly McCarter, said she was motivated to stop her 20-year smoking habit because she started running for exercise last year and now is training for a marathon.

“It certainly is easier to run when you don’t smoke,” said McCarter, production manager and coordinator of stage management for Theatre UCF. “Who knew? Everybody knows! Everyone who picks up a cigarette knows what it does to them.”

Nayfeh and McCarter said they have tried to quit numerous times through the years, but this time they vowed to succeed in advance of the university’s policy.

“I tried several times to stop, but they were short – days, even hours,” said Nayfeh, who recently attended a smoking-cessation class on campus that offered tips, motivational advice and support from fellow classmates.

“This time it was really different. I was lucky to have all the support from the class, and I took it more as a challenge this time. I figured that if I took just one cigarette, like I used to, I’d go back.”

McCarter said nicotine-replacement patches were certainly helpful, but her biggest trick to stop smoking was exercise.

“Every time I wanted a cigarette I’d go into the bathroom and do about 20 jumping jacks,” she said.

UCF Health Services officials have boosted support for the campaign by getting endorsements from groups around campus, such as the Faculty Senate, USPS Staff Council, Student Government Association, HR Liaison Network, Greek Council, Fraternity and Sorority Life, and others.

Mary Schmidt-Owens, co-chair of the campaign steering committee and UCF’s assistant director of Medical and Health Administration, said UCF joins more than 700 other colleges and universities with similar policies.

“I am hopeful that as the result of the policy there will be fewer students picking up the habit,” Schmidt-Owens said. “What begins as an occasional social behavior quickly becomes a daily habit, often resulting in an addiction to cigarette smoking. I see this policy as the first step in discouraging a lifelong habit.”

The university hopes that employees and students become ambassadors of the campaign and model healthy behaviors for others to follow. Anyone aware of someone smoking on the campus is encouraged to politely explain the policy and ask the smoker to comply.

Efforts will focus on increasing the awareness of the policy instead of fining or punishing smokers. The policy will be reviewed after a year just like other new policies that are put into place, Schmidt-Owens said.

The university has been providing cessation services and resources – including individual and group classes, support groups, counseling, self-help materials and medications – to employees and students who want to quit. For a list of upcoming classes, check the website.

JeVeire Moore, a Health Services pharmacist, said free nicotine-replacement therapy is available for those in the smoking-cessation program, and nicotine-replacement patches, gum and lozenges can be purchased by anyone at the UCF Health Center.

Nayfeh and McCarter encourage others to take the class to improve their own health.

“When smokers wake up, they have a horrible taste in their mouths. But they get used to it,” Nayfeh said. “They should quit for their health, for their looks, their smell. Everything has changed for me. For the people who still smoke, I wish them a better life without it.”