On Thursday, Dec. 6, and Friday, Dec. 7, Stageplayers debuts its One Act Play Festival, a series of student-directed and created performances. The directors have 100 percent total creative freedom when creating their skits, which can range from corny rom-coms to parodies of shows or movies in hilarious, sentimental and unique ways.
Better Than Books
Starting off the festival, a skit directed by senior Rosie Wagner is based on a book written by Lynn Painter. The scene begins with a girl named Grace and her best friend who tries to help her get with her crush she’s had since kindergarten. He ends up prom-posing to Grace and her best friend asks Grace’s date’s ex-girlfriend to go with him. Then, at the dance, Grace realizes she doesn’t want her crush anymore, but instead, her best friend who’s always been by her side.
Pals
Based on the hit show “Friends”, juniors Ava Botton and Marley Herchenbach directed a skit inspired by the major, beloved characters and their comedic ways. Halfway through the show, a high-pitched woman enters and bugs Chandler, who hides behind the couch, while another character acts like a lamp to avoid interacting with the woman. Soon their neighbor, an old man, enters the room, complaining about the woman’s voice and volume. The scene ends with the old man telling the cast that the one act is over. The cast denies this claim but the old man looks at the audience and says it could, as the light begins to dim.
Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Martian
Directed by juniors Zoe Muller and Mary Weatherly, the mystery gang is headed on a trip to Las Vegas but makes a rest stop at a hotel by Area 51. When attempting to book a room, the receptionist warns them not to because there have been alien sightings. In the end, the gang manages to find and demask the “alien” imposter and their accomplice.
“Our cast is so good,” sophomore Victoria Ivanov said, the Martian. “We just click…our directors are great. They bring us snacks, and the script is just super funny and creative, which got us super into it”.
Dreamhouse Disaster
Directed by juniors Ella Globerger and Luiza Magalhaes, all the infamous characters from the animated show, “Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse” were testing one of Ken’s newest inventions. The power went out and Stacy, one of Barbie’s sisters went to retrieve something from the freezer and forgot what she was looking for. She began screaming because there was no more ice cream, which worried Barbie and the rest of the cast, sending them on a wild goose chase looking for her. After finding her, she revealed she had eaten three gallons of ice cream. After closing the scene, a spotlight was cast on the actor who played Ryan, sophomore Kade Burroughs. He proceeded to comedically “horribly” play guitar and sing a song dedicated to Barbie, as the skit ended.
I Am Your Mother
Based on the Saturday Night Live (SNL) skit “I am Your Mother”, senior River Thompson and his cast recreated a scene where a mother and two sons were being shot for an instant food commercial. In the commercial one of the sons is required to say, “It’s even better than her (the mother’s) cooking!” to which the mother is supposed to reply, “I am your mother!” in a joyful, playful demeanor, but instead gets agitated and comedically ruins the take over and over again.
Senior Robby Mcdonell, the clapper loader in the skit expressed his opinion of their performance, “Our cast is really committed and dedicated to their roles, you know… “I think it was a great show,” McDonell said. “[We put a lot of] work into it, and it reflected what we put up on stage.”
Check, Please
Written by Johnathan Rand, this skit was adapted and directed by juniors Kanoa Farias and John Zidek, featuring two parallels of hopeless romantics, going on dates that keep turning out miserably. The waitress observes it all and continues to ask both characters if they’d like the check after each of their dates. Both characters are convinced their dream date would walk through the door so they deny the check until they eventually bump into each other. The two characters end up together at the end of this comedic rom-com.
Love Island UK Talent Show 2024
Directed by senior Delaney Rybicki and Senior Erin Duffy, this skit portrays the iconic show “Love Island.” Contestants had to participate in a talent show as couples. From singing to dancing to motivational speech, there were several comedic punch lines and references to the show. “The audience loved it,” Rybicki said. “I’m really proud of my cast… I was back doing sound cues, which I’m not really used to, [but it] went really well.”
So This is a Rom-Com?
Directed by seniors Abby Sladek and Isabella Abou Chakra, this performance features a girl named Destinie who makes a wish to find the perfect guy. The next day she bumps into Brent, a southern ginger, who spills his sugar cookie latte on her. She thinks he’s handsome until she meets a billionaire named Rick a few moments later, who immediately becomes her boyfriend. She attends a party the next day where she learns that her flower/Bookstore/coffee shop is going to get taken away from her that she just found out she owned. She runs into Brent at the party, and Rick confesses he has commitment issues and flirts with her friend instead. The play ends with the main character “kissing” Brent but ultimately regretting letting Rick go.
