SHS’ First One Act Festival!

By: Kavya Kamath

Theatre is an invigorating enterprise. Theatre during covid almost seems counterintuitive. How can an art form that requires close, truthful, intimate interaction between people be played out across a computer screen, much less provide entertainment to an audience? Well, let the thespians of Sparta High fear not—Spart High’s annual Fall Drama of the Drama Club will be happening… just with a slight twist! Replacing the Fall Drama for the 2020-2021 school year is a One Act Festival!

So what exactly is a one act festival and what exactly will it showcase? The festival will show five different one-act-long, student-written, student-directed plays all centered around a theme of “Sometimes Life Doesn’t Work Out.” It will be a true celebration of student talent! Though recorded via zoom, all plays include curated writing, talented actors, costumes, video editing, and all other hallmarks of theatre that can exist/be translated digitally. The plays you’ll see are:

Wrong Number (by Cassidy Pry):

Already in high school, Carli is ecstatic to finally have a cell phone of her own, now that her father could afford to buy her one. It's everything she'd dreamed of and more. However, when she begins receiving calls from people having breakdowns and telling her their life stories, she realizes that perhaps her new phone doesn't have a new 

number....

Graduation Day (by Brianna Conlon): 

Everybody dreams about their Graduation Day and the moment they walk across the stage, it's the most exciting event for any highschooler. However, things quickly get out of hand at highschooler Mae's graduation when her childhood best friend Logan decides to confess his love for her in front of the whole school, even though she already has a boyfriend…

Customer Service (by Adam Osle):

     A man tries desperately to get refunded on purchases he made for a failed birthday bash. In the process he lies and cheats his way through multiple customer service calls. Will he get his money back, or will it all blow up in his face?

Missed Opportunity (by Alex Fontes): 

A worker is purposelessly stuck in a job they’re uninterested in… with a boss who expects more from them. When circumstances become dire, a dark and ironic shift forces everybody to consider what really matters.

College Quandary (by Kavya Kamath): 

With college right around the corner, high school senior Jospehine is desperate to attend Penn State. After a mishap at work, her ability to pay comes into question, forcing Jospehine to grapple with what’s most important in her life. Will she re-evaluate her priorities or throw away herself in the process of pursuing her goals?

The finished and polished recordings will be distributed digitally in April and premiered via the SHS Drama Club instagram (@shsdramaclub2021), which will also be providing updates and hosting a virtual opening night! Don’t miss this opportunity to view SHS’ very first One Act Festival!