Leonardtown, MD – It’s a tradition for the seniors in the Leonardtown High School Rose Players theatre troupe to direct one-act plays their senior year.
That tradition was carried out at The Night of One Acts Friday, May 27 at Leonardtown High School, where six seniors were able to see their visions come to life in five different one-act plays.
Four diverse comedies and one suspenseful drama showcased the talent of the students in the Rose Players at every level.
“The one acts are a fun time because they’re so student-focused and student-centered,” said Director of Theatre Programs and Competitions Guy Barbato. “They’re chosen by the students. They are conceived, in terms of the production, by the students. Obviously the students are the ones doing the acting and the tech. It is done under the guidance of me, as the theatre director, but I still give them as much room as possible to succeed, and fail sometimes, but, ultimately, to grow.”
The night began with “The Absolute Most Clichéd Elevator Play in the History of the Entire Universe” by Werner Trieschmann, a quirky play that pokes fun at the various clichés that are used in playwriting. The show was directed by Jared Mathe, who has been a member of the Rose Players since his freshman year.
Next up was the “The Least Offensive Play in the Whole Darn World” by Jonathan Rand. Directed by Kathleen Atkinson, the show spotlights a new theatre invention that censors inappropriate elements out of productions like Rent and Romeo and Juliet.
The third production of the night was “Lockdown” by Douglas Craven, a suspenseful thriller about a group of students during a school shooting.
The show was directed by Connor Heveron, who said that it was not an easy task to direct such an intense show. Even though it was difficult, Heveron enjoyed directing so much that he has decided that it is the career path he wants to pursue.
“I love creating things and this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Heveron said.
The fourth production of the night was “The Last of Sherlock Holmes” by Tim Kelly, a show with an unexpected twist. The one act was the only play of the night directed by a duo. Tia LePore and Tori Kraese picked their play during their sophomore year because they were obsessed with the television show “Sherlock” and worked together to bring the play to life.
The final show of the night was “It’s Not You, It’s Me” by Don Zolodis. Directed by Lauren Drewello, the show featured different couples and explored what goes into the breakup phrase “it’s not you, it’s me.”
The tradition of finishing out one’s high school theatre career by directing a one act play is something that each director holds very close to his/her heart.
“It means a lot to me to finish my high school theatre career this way,” said Drewello. “I have grown as an actor over these four years and to share what I’ve learned with other people through directing was really neat.”
The Night of One Acts is fun for everyone involved, whether it is the tech workers, the actors, the directors or the audience, which is what theatre is all about.
“That’s one of the things that is so cool about theatre,” said Barbato. “It’s a synergy of a large number of individuals with very different talents and skill sets who come together and create art that can take a whole room of people and entertain them and make them think and bring them together for a couple of hours in a group social experience.”