By Lorin Enns
As the school year rushes to a close, theatre students are participating in the final performances of the year, the department’s annual “ten-minute plays” tonight in the theatre at 6:00pm.
Ten-minute performances are a yearly tradition that began several years ago. These plays, cast and directed solely by Theatre IV students, are made up of two to four people. This year, Theatre IV students will open the doors to seven different short shows.
“[Ten-minute plays] give more people opportunities to perform,” Olivia Oh, junior, said. “I’m excited to be able to have a chance at seeing the directing aspect of theatre.”
The two-night event includes play performances such as “Brace Yourself,” a story about a girl who fears her new braces will get in the way of kissing her crush; “Human Resources,” which tells of a company’s HR department going crazy in fear of being fired; and “Lunch Date,” a two-person show about a girl who likes a boy until she sees his true colors. The other shows include a teacher play, a parody of the goodnight kiss at the end of a date. Ms. Barber, Mr. Hernandez, Mrs. Burrows, Mr. Malinowski, Ms. Holyoak, and Ms. Delgado are participating.
“I’m so thrilled to be directing my own play,” senior Emi Ohki, Theatre IV student, said. “The whole process was so fun: from choosing a play, to casting, all the way to rehearsals. I’ve learned so much about the effort that goes into a play, and I’m thankful for my directors in the past.”
These performances come after theatre students learned that Mrs.Burrows, the theatre director, is leaving to take a position at another school. Burrows has been here for years, making her loss an emotional one. Ten-minute plays are the final act of the year, making them her last shows here. For the Theatre IV students, this performance brings their four years in the theatre department to a bittersweet close.
“It feels fulfilling knowing that I’ve been in the theatre program for four years, and I’ve loved watching my friends direct these hilarious plays,” Jenna Howarth, Theatre IV student, said. “I’ve learned to be more social and confident through theatre.”
