One-Acts offer a bit of everything

By Cloverleaf High School Journalism Staff
 
The Cloverleaf High School Drama Department’s 2018 One-Act Play Festival takes place 4 p.m. May 6 on the Cloverleaf Elementary School stage.
 
This year’s festival includes five one-act plays under the direction of some of the senior members of the CHS Drama Club.
 
“The seniors have picked a wide variety of shows,” said drama club advisor John Carmigiano.  “The shows were cast before spring break so that the students could have an opportunity to work with their casts as soon as possible.”
 
The first play will be “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon” by Don Zolidis, and directed by Sky Gill.  Two narrators try to combine all 209 fairy tales into one fast-paced story. Hold on for a wild ride!
 
The second play of the night will be “The Sandbox” by Edward Albee, and directed by Reilly Cipullo.  Albee took an overlap of characters and themes from another play to stage this brief play at an international theatrical festival and it became one of his favorites.
 
“Directing my own one-act has been a different kind of beast,” Cipullo said. “It’s hard to think about how you are going to go about practicing with your peers and keeping them focused.”
 
The third play will be an original from senior Taylor Claycomb called “Solace is So Far Away.”  She wrote the play over the past year, and it includes a girl, her mom, and the pressures of studying for the big test.
 
 CHS One-Act Play Festival rehearsal
 
“Writing a play is difficult and frustrating at times, but once I had an idea it was like I could not put down the ideas quick enough,” Claycomb said.  “The inspiration for the play came from life. I always have anxiety when it comes to tests, so I took that anxiety and amped it up to a dramatic level.  My mother also helped me come up with the idea for the show.”
 
The fourth play in the lineup will be “The Absolute Most Clichéd Elevator Play in the History of the Universe,” by Werner Trieschmann.  It will be directed by Chloe Schwanke.  A playwriting instructor gets stuck on a crowded elevator and chaos ensues as the clichés start to get out of control.
 
The last play of the night will be “The Game of Life” by Christopher M. Connors.  Directed by Catie Hyatt and Jacob Berchtold, this comedy proves the rules of life aren’t always what they seem.
 
Carmigiano is pleased with the work and professionalism of the directors.  They all took the time to carefully select the plays they wanted to direct.
 
“They picked some funny and interesting shows,” said Carmigiano.  “In some cases, they had to make some tough directing decisions, and it is a real learning experience for the seniors.  I love that they have the opportunity to choose their own plays and use their own stage experiences to shape the shows.
 
“I am really proud of Taylor for experimenting with her own play writing.  She has worked hard over her four years!”
 
Admission is $5 for all ages at the door, and the house will open at 3:30 p.m. on the day of the festival. Cloverleaf Elementary School is located at 8337 Friendsville Road in Westfield Township.
 
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Carmigiano at [email protected].

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