By Andy Lawell
To be, or not to be in one of Coronado’s 10-minute plays? That is the question that went through many students’ heads earlier this school year.
Every year, Theatre IVs have the opportunity to put on short, one-act plays for the student body. The “10-minute plays,” so called for their typical length, are an interesting mixture of stress and excitement for everyone involved, whether it’s an actor or a student director. The auditions happen in November, and the shows go up in January, right before exams and spring musical auditions.
These plays are the first role for some of the younger students. Though sometimes the audition can seem daunting, many freshmen and sophomores overcome their fears and prepare pieces to perform and get cast in the plays every year. This year, for instance, a total of 23 freshmen were cast in the eight selected plays.
“The plays are really fun so far,” Marshall Looney, freshman, said. “I’m definitely looking forward to it, but I’m pretty scared, too. We’re working really hard, and it looks really good. Before winter break, I was completely sure we would be incredible, but now that the day is almost here it’s getting scarier and scarier to think about.” Looney has only participated in the Winter One-Act performances, so the 10-minute plays will be his first experience with an audience not consisting entirely of students.
In addition to being an opportunity for theater students to perform, one senior usually takes on the job of directing a 10-minute play cast entirely with teachers. This year that responsibility fell to Shaye Mora, who finds it different and exciting. Mora’s cast consists of teachers like her own acting teacher, Mrs. Burrows, and Mr. Fleischer, who are used to performing on stage, but also consists of teachers like Mrs. Delgado, Mr. Bolin, Mrs. Cordova, Mr. Brennan, Ms. Yeaton and Mr. Watson, who are less so.
“Working with teachers is definitely an interesting experience,” Mora said. “It’s fun to sort of trade places with a teacher and see teachers step out of their comfort zones and start acting. I enjoy working with teachers because they’re very hard working and never get off-task and are extra motivated not to mess up onstage in front of their students.”
This year’s 10-minute plays go up January 8 and 9 at 6 p.m. in the theater. Purchase tickets for $5 at showtix4u.com or at the door on the evenings of the performances for $6.
