Around the end of the school year, the theater department does student directed one acts.  They are especially fun to watch and are very entertaining. The one acts are special because they highlight the imagination and gifts among the students, giving them the freedom to be directors, actors, writers and on tech.

Capes & Tasers, written and directed by Freshman Vi Pappe, is a great example of this. All the actors did an amazing job. The skit was short and was about a kidnapper who was in love with their victim. Then the kidnapper fell in love with the cop that came to rescue the victim. At first I was a little confused because there was little context and it was random, but Capes & Tasers became one of my favorite acts of the night. Because of its humor and creativity. You could tell the actors worked really hard and gave it their all.

It’s Not September Anymore had less of a comedic tone but was still great. It was written and directed by Addison Whirls and showcased a couple as they fought. It had a pretty good depiction of a toxic relationship. They show the couple slowly progressing from a happy relationship to fighting me all the time. In the end, it was revealed that it was just some kind of hallucination. This was an interesting choice and a little confusing, but that didn’t really matter because the story was still intriguing to watch.

The third act was one of my favorites because of the set. It was about a man who ate some bad food and started talking to his dog. The one act was called A Cool Play, directed by Junior Matthew Gonzalez. The author was anonymous. Even though there were only two actors, Freshman Ava McCartue and Sophomore Justin McGarity, the two did an amazing job. I found the story very funny, laughing along with the audience.

Fourth act was called Bus Stop Connections, written and directed by Sophomore Elijiah Eisenberg. The set was a simple park bench. Nathan, played by Sophomore  Roy Henderson, is in a fight with his friend. Kelly, played by Freshman Helena Giugni, has a crush on her unnamed friend. You watch as two strangers work through their personal issues and slowly open up to each other more. This  act really puts you in the shoes of the characters, and I found myself sympathizing with them. Eisenberg did a great job of making relatable characters and giving genuine advice for the problems Kelly and Nathen had.

The fifth act was my favorite. Called A Dicey Situation, this one act was adapted from Studio C by Freshman Elijah Markwell and directed by Markwell too. It was about a bunch of classic D&D nerds, also known as the “Brothers of the Blade.” The story follows the group as they let a girl into their D&D game. In the end, she defeats them all. This was definitely the most funny. The script was well written and short, and the actress really helped make the play come alive.

Carrot, Asparagus & Garlic felt like a fever dream. It was written and directed by Senior Nic Meza-Honea and Keegan Martin. It was about a garlic trying to eat a carrot and asparagus. It was a creative and unique idea. It was an interesting one to watch as the actors looked like they had a lot of fun.

The seventh one was not directed by a student. Theater director Zena actually wrote and directed a show called They Dance. Through silence, music and dance, the actors showed a love story all the way to death. This one was definitely the prettiest with dramatic lighting and music that draws you in. It was definitely the most memorable, and it stood out among the other acts which were more comedy-oriented.

In conclusion, all of the acts showed student talent and what students can create when given the opportunity of creative freedom.

Next year when the theater department does the One Acts again, I strongly encourage people to go and support the creativity of the theater department.