Each year, Lake Part Theater puts on a series of student-directed plays in late January known as One Acts. Historically, seniors in the theater department would have the privilege of writing, casting, and directing their own plays but this season, a new addition was made where juniors could apply to student-direct as well. With a larger pool of directors, they were able to put on 11 shows across the span of three days.
Past One Acts have included renditions of popular TV shows and movies such as Regular Show, Despicable Me, Barbie, and Lego Batman. However, the vast majority of this year’s productions were originals written by students themselves. It presented an outlet for juniors and seniors to express themselves creatively, as well as allowing them to pair with others to make creative visions come to life. The opportunity is highly anticipated by students who have participated in theater throughout high school and both keeps students coming back each year, as well as attracting new students.
“One-Acts is a time for people who are interested in literally any aspect of theater to get involved,” Thalia Rhodes (LP’ 27) said.
It’s common for the friends of students in theater to get involved, as it presents a fun, easy opportunity for students to stay active in Lake Park activities after school.
“It’s a great way to meet new people and find something you love,” Jason Sullivan (LP ‘26) said.
Through the ups and downs of the short rehearsal window and coordinating the schedules of over fifty students, everyone involved was challenged in some way.
“A moment that really stood out this year was probably when our Friday shows were cancelled because of the snow storm. Tech got messed around and shows got put out of order, but it was a good test of perseverance for everybody involved and I think everybody got a little bit closer as a result,” Thalia said.
Additionally, there were many more shows and roles to fill this year overall. Arely Panagua (LP ‘28) was casted in three shows and can attest to the challenge it presented.
“Many students were double and even triple casted,” Arely said.
“It was pretty hard at times. I had to split between 3 One-Acts this year along with balancing my homework, [but] it’s achievable and you can certainly get your homework done! I utilized all my down time throughout class and rehearsals to do my homework and I still had time to myself.”
One-Acts are always an experience that many students look forward to, and the program continues to grow each year. Many students are already anticipating next year’s shows, challenges, and experiences alike.
