Student-directed play reimagines existentialist classic

The Department of Communication, Film, and Theatre delighted attendees with a one-night, sold-out performance of “No Exit," an existentialist play directed by senior communication and theatre major Zoe Calhoun, on Oct. 30 in the Fine Arts Instructional Center Delmonte Bernstein Studio Theatre.

Originally written by French playwright and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, “No Exit” challenges the audience to confront uncomfortable truths about identity and responsibility.  

“Directing ‘No Exit’ has been a long-held goal and an experience I’ve deeply valued,” said Calhoun. “I’ve always wanted to direct a show, and being able to bring this production to life has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my time here.” 

The play follows three characters, Cradeau (Zavier Garcia ‘26), Inez (Zolah Daley ‘26), and Estelle (Bonnie Mentz ‘26), who find themselves trapped together in a single room in the afterlife. Over time, they realize their punishment isn’t physical torture, but to face the truth of themselves through each other’s eyes. 

Calhoun hopes audiences leave feeling both “unsettled and reflective. Rather than offering easy answers, the goal is to make audiences think and reflect on their own existence.”  

Calhoun explained that the limitation of only one setting created a challenge for stronger collaborations between actors. “Because the play takes place entirely in one room, so much depends on the actors’ chemistry and the emotional truth of their performances,” she said. 

With “No Exit” being her first directing experience, Calhoun had to learn to collaborate with the creative team in order to tell the story as they envisioned.  

“Everyone brought their own insights and creativity to the table,” she said. “I have primarily only acted in theater productions before, so having to work with a creative team (lighting, sound, set design) was new to me and definitely something we all figured out together.” 

Calhoun spoke about the importance of identity in a world where social media, constant surveillance, and public opinions shape our self-perception. “After eighty-years, ‘No Exit’ still challenges us to look inward and to consider how we might help create a world built not on judgment, but on understanding,” Calhoun said.  

She continued: “Sartre's questions about responsibility, identity, and truth remain just as urgent. Sartre's ‘hell’ isn't punishment from without, but from within: a space we create when we refuse to see others with compassion or ourselves with honesty.”