It’s a longstanding tradition that each May, LOHS seniors who have dedicated a significant portion of their four years here to the drama department get to direct a One Act production. Each senior wanting to participate is responsible for finding their script, casting their act, sourcing their costumes and set pieces and coordinating their rehearsals. This year, the directors are Connor Ramsey, Loralee Van London, Lilian McIlraith, Rowan Ducker, Karin Bradshaw, Taxi Zindell, Natalie Hay, Sarah Sprinkle and Peyton Thomas.
Directors aren’t allowed to write their One Acts, so most find them from an external source such as in a book or online. “It took me a few days to actually find my One Act,” Hay shared. “My friend who goes to college in Washington is a theater major, and she had a website that had a bunch of one acts for her college. She sent me a PDF of the website and I found a One Act that I really liked.” Hay’s production is titled “And Scene (of the Crime)” and features seniors Adrian Bandril and Sam Johnson as well as junior Aspen Gross. “It’s about two detectives trying to get information from this murder suspect using a unique interrogation tactic. The suspect happens to be an improv comedian,” explained Hay.
Ramsey’s One Act is also a comedy called “Letters by Robert L. Kinast.” “It’s about two cousins who keep getting these very unhinged letters from their great aunt,” he explained. “She’s just very judgemental and can’t help but tell them what they should be doing with their lives.” Ramsey was inspired by his grandma who lives in an old folks home and was interested in exploring the hilarious antics of the elderly. His cast is composed entirely of freshmen including Jake Taub, Evie Smith and Mia Jensen.
Finding the script for the One Act is relatively easy, but actually executing it is where it becomes challenging. As aforementioned, each director is responsible for finding their own costumes and set pieces. While many of the costumes come from the actors’ own closets, some directors are having something new made. “For my old woman character played by [Taub], I am talking to a costume designer from our school, [junior] Henry Robinson, to help make that costume,” Ramsey said.
Another aspect of One Acts that has proved to be challenging is learning to direct. “Directing is a lot more difficult than it seems,” Hay admitted. Most of the directors have either been actors or crew members in past productions, so navigating the directorial process has been a learning curve. As a member of the tech team for LOHS, Hay said that “the biggest difference between tech and directing is being able to understand stage presence and how the audience is going to view your One Act.”
Similarly, Ramsey has experienced a similar shock after making the switch from actor to director. “It’s hard to articulate what to do to actors,” he stated. He can “usually just jump into [a character],” but now he has to adjust to the other side of it by leading the other actors. “I give props to [LOHS drama teacher] Mrs. Bergh for being able to do this every year,” said Ramsey.
“While being a director, not only does your leadership hat have to be on, but also, [you have to] understand that you’re talking to your peers and friends,” Hay said. “Putting your vision on stage is probably the hardest thing to execute. Obviously you want something a certain way, but in reality, if you want it to go that way and it doesn’t work, then you have to figure something else out.”
While both Ramsey’s and Hay’s are comedies, the One Acts are not limited to one genre. For example, Bradshaw’s One Act will explore themes of grief and personal growth, while Ducker’s explores themes of trust and deception. There’s something for everyone, so make sure to support the Drama Department and LOHS seniors on April 30, May 1 and 2 by attending One Acts.
