On April 27-28, four seniors completed their final senior project: One Acts. This 10 minute play is tradition for seniors who are well-versed in theater. They are transitioning from their past plays into their last piece of work in their high-school career. For many, it is their first time directing a play.

“Not only do you have to have a clear and a distinct vision for every element of the play, but you also have to be there to support and help you actors as well as costume and tech crews. You really are the leader, and everyone is looking to you,” said Avery Looser (12), one of the directors.

Some of these One Acts include as little as two actors, such as Ladies and Gentleman, the Rain, written by Will Eno and directed by Spencer Hickman (12). This play tells the story of two people who seek love by making dating videos, ultimately opening up to each other about their past, and define who they are and what they want in the process.

Hickman explained the directing process and how different his play is: “the two actors on stage never interact – they only talk to a camcorder throughout the whole play….the text is very dense, poetic, and at many times confusing. In some of the rehearsals we’d talk about a single line for like 15 minutes because Will Eno’s writing is so interesting.”

One director with five actors—the largest cast out of the one acts—Caroline Moseley (12) directed Bed & Breakfast, originally written by Richard Dresser, which is a light-hearted comedy about two American couples staying at a Bed & Breakfast in Britain. However, their vacation takes a turn for the worse when they must deal with an attempted murder and two druggings, and they resolve their conflicts and leave others to deal with the consequences of their actions. Moseley explains how she wanted to direct something outside of the box in order to challenge herself: “I honestly don’t think I would have been cast in Bed & Breakfast if I had auditioned! The process has been really fun and experimental for me. My cast is so energetic and they impress me every day in rehearsal with their dedication to developing their characters.”

Looser, on the other hand, delves deep into the process of grieving and coping with the death of a young girl in Language of Angles. Originally written by Naomi Iizuka, the play tells the story of a girl named Celie who disappears in a cave while out with her friends, and they must piece together what happened.

“In the end, some of Celie’s friends rest in her presence…while others dwell in their sorrows, spiraling in their own isolation,” said Looser.

Even more interesting, Looser’s cast do not interact with each other. The play is full of monologues, making the language very challenging, but Looser adds that “it has been fun piecing together this intricate story.”

The fourth and final one act, directed by Matthew Kirkwood (12) features Danielle, a girl in her mid 20’s, trying to apply for a job but encounters trouble when trying to answer some of the questions. Conflicted, she seeks the advice of some of her old classmates and good friends Cindy, Dylan, and Brian, who each offer their own kind of advice.

Slop Culture, originally written by Robb Badlam has similar correlation to the TV show Friends, and Kirkwood chose this script because it is “one of the funniest scripts for a play [he had] ever seen.”

Because all four seniors have acted in past Kinkaid productions, they all have learned the ups and downs of directing and the difference between acting and directing. “I definitely consider myself an actor, and I never considered how different [directing and acting is]” explained Moseley.