One-Acts Take the Stage by Storm at FAHS this November

Imagine you are sitting in the high school auditorium when, suddenly, the lights dim and the curtains open up to reveal people you know from school acting out roles you have never seen them in before. In late fall, this scenario becomes a reality for all who attend the one-acts. 

The one-acts are a series of short plays (estimated around 30-50 minutes in length) directed by the upper-class high schoolers and acted out by the students at Fleetwood Area High. 

This year’s plays are How To Get Away with a Murder Mystery (directed by junior Sophie Esterly and junior Eric Katzenmoyer), Alice in Wonderland (directed by senior Maurianna Carannante and senior Aidan Wojcicki), and The Curse (directed and written by junior Sophia Glover and senior Veronica Tucci). The stage crew leaders this year are Jannelle Burnett (11) and Mars Felkar (12).

“This year, the one-acts are on November 21st and 22nd,” Esterly said.

“We wanted something whimsical, and [Alice in Wonderland] was one of our first choices out of the bunch we were deciding from,” Carannte said.

“We wanted something that incorporated nature for the set as well,” Wojcicki said.

“Seeing at the end of the day how everything comes together and goes from just a script to a production full of life is my favorite part of directing so far,” Esterly.

Contrasting the other two one-act plays, The Curse was written by two Fleetwood Area High school students, Glover and Tucci. 

“When we first started talking about the play, we had an idea of it being some sort of parody, like Monty Python, but with a mix of horror and comedy. One of the first ideas for the plot was for a character to be a conspiracy theorist, which ended up staying throughout the writing process,” Tucci said.

“In the end, it was a really great experience. This was one of the first times I’ve completed a project like this, and it was really satisfying. It was incredibly helpful getting feedback from Ms. Hilbert and Mr. Houp while writing the play, and now it’s just almost surreal to see it actually coming to life,” Tucci.

While, at face value, a theater is seen for its actors and directors, the stage crew should never be neglected.

“My favorite part about the stage crew during the one-acts is the creative flexibility of working with all the directors to create props. I am able to make scenes come to life. This gives me a lot of creative freedom in picking specific set pieces to be placed in scenes,” Felker, the assistant stage crew manager, said.

“The one-acts are important because they give underclassmen an opportunity to bond and feel more comfortable in the drama club before the Spring musical arrives. Since they are 100% student-led, it leads to a lot of communication throughout everyone in the community and allows friendships to form early on,” sophomore actress Madison Brown said.

The one-acts at Fleetwood Area High school contribute to the production of art and the growth of creative thinking in students who participate. They serve as an inexpensive source of entertainment for the Fleetwood community and a free outlet for those who like acting and the energy of theater.