The resounding boom of a drum accompanied by distant yelling wafted down the hall of the Creative Arts building on a February afternoon. It couldn’t even be drowned out by a boisterous group of students chatting in between classes.

The sound’s origins were from the Brown Bag Theatre, where the players were engaged in a performance of the first play of the season, “Once a Boy.”

The play was written by Claire Rice, an office assistant in the theatre arts department office. This play was her first attempt at playwriting, she said.

The play, which takes place in the course of an evening, is about a Cambodian boy soldier trying to deal with the guilt of leaving his homeland. Rice said she got the idea from an article she had read.

“Once a Boy” director Monte Tom, a senior theatre arts major was drawn to the play, in part because of its language.

“I thought the language was beautiful—amazing,” he said. According to Tom he was drawn in by its ethnic undertones.

With the first play of the Brown Bag season almost behind him, Tom is now looking forward to his next stint in the director’s seat. He will direct another play later this season that is yet to be determined, he said.

“I’m sad because I don’t know if I’ll get another cast this fun,” Tom said of the "Once a Boy" cast. “They put in a lot of hard work.”

Tom, a native of San Francisco, said this is his second experience in Brown Bag Theater. He acted in a production last year.

Classie Alcudia, unlike Tom, is new to the Brown Bag experience and found the audition--in front of all the directors at once--challenging. It was nerve-wracking because some of the directors are her peers and friends, she said.

Alcudia, a junior at SF State, played the part of Seoun in "Once a Boy." Seoun is the sister of James, the leading character played by Themba Alleyne, a senior at SF State.

The Brown Bag Theatre productions come from a class designed to provide a repertory theater type experience to juniors and seniors, according to a flyer for Brown Bag Theatre.

Finn Gale, another of the Brown Bag directors and a triple major at SF State, will debut his original script, “The Disney Storybook,” later this season.

The Disney Storybook, Gale said, will put his own spin on some well-known characters from Disney’s past. The play was inspired by Gale's own distaste for Disney films, he said.

Brown Bag Theatre, to theatre art majors, is also known as the Senior Production Workshop. It offers students experience in all aspects of the production process. Actors perform in at least two shows a semester and must also participate in all other aspects of the production process.

“In Brown Bag you end up juggling a lot of things at once, but it’s a good challenge,” Gale said.

Brown Bag Theatre's productions can be seen Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at noon in the Creative Arts building room 104. A new play will premiere each week and admission is free. Doors close promptly and seating is limited so arrive early.