Abigail Eswine
Contributing Writer
A stage set with a variety of chairs, boxes, a table –all painted black; that is all students were given to make their vision come to life.
Spring One-Acts were performed on April 17-18 in the Little Theatre, with admission at $3 per student and $5 per adult. A different set of four plays were shown each night, allowing for eight plays to be performed total.
Students completely run one-acts: students write, direct, gather props and take charge of sound and lighting directions.
One-acts are a “short, concise way to express” oneself, said drama teacher Todd Schaefer. The plays are generally 10 pages or less, with 10 pages being about a 10-minute play.
Junior Duncan Kinzie, a Thespian officer and the organizer of the show, said the one acts are the best method “to show case not only the talent of the actors but also the behind the scenes.”
As organizer, Kinzie publicized the event, got people excited, took care of finding the emcee, and structured the evenings.
The one-acts are a way of “truly putting art in the students’ hands,” said Schaefer.
Schaefer compared the plays to poetry or music: the plays act as another creative outlet for students to say what they want to say. There is “a lot of pushing of the envelope,” specifically with social issues, said Schaefer. Every year, he said, they worry they’ve gone too far on something, but they never do.
Kinzie said he loves “to see what people are passionate about,” what people care enough to write about and then produce.
Kinzie, involved in the drama department since his freshman year, said he has written six one acts including the one shown this past April: Life After Death.
Kinzie said it really can’t be put into words how it feels to have your work performed, but added it felt almost relieving –he said he’ll throw direction and words at the cast but “they always add something that’s so fantastic.” It’s relieving, he said, to be able to sit back and enjoy, and trust the cast with the show.
Rehearsals for the Spring One-Acts happened off campus, with production of the plays starting two months before they were performed mid-April.
Around 12 plays were submitted before the final eight were chosen by Thespians.
