Thespians act on their own

The usually charismatic Danielle Prados, a senior, grows bashful when speaking of her work. She runs through a sketch of the plot and a litany of characters as she sits cross-legged, her back against the elevator shaft on Mar 19. Nervous hand gestures betray her reservations about sharing her one-act play with the entire school.

Prados' as-yet-untitled one-act play will be featured in a May 15 and 16 festival organized by the Thespian club. The festival will feature three other one-acts that Blair students directed, produced and, for two of the four, wrote.

According to senior Lindsey Schubert, president of the club, the one-act festival arose in response to the fact that school productions have primarily been comedies and musicals. The Thespians decided that a one-act festival could fill the void with more serious material.

The four plays include Prados' drama; junior Anna Horne's politically oriented Just Blood; Neville J. Bryant's comedy Cover Up, directed by juniors Lilah Shreeve and Jojo Ruf; and Jean-Paul Sartre's No Exit, directed by senior Griff Rees.

The range of styles introduces a host of challenges for the Thespians. "We've got to take these four directors, four groups of cast members, four different plays, stage them separately and then come together at the end to make a cohesive body," says Schubert.

To make matters more complex, the Thespian Club isn't auditioning actors and actresses for specific plays. "The directors are going to have to duke it out to pick which actors they want," says Schubert.

What will set the festival apart for those involved, says Schubert, is its atmosphere. "Because this is student-run, it's less intimidating. It's more laid-back than Ms. Newman's productions." This, she says, reflects the informal nature of the Thespian club.

Though Newman is the sponsor, her role is minimal. "She lets us use her room and gives us strong suggestions, especially on issues of propriety," says Prados. "But that's about it."

The control that directors will enjoy makes the one-act festival a unique opportunity. "It's incredibly rare for students to get this much room. For kids to write and put on one-acts—that's pretty unique," says Prados.

Prados, like Horne, feels that her drama experience thus far has prepared her to direct. Nevertheless, she is careful to underscore the hard work a director must do to bring a script to life. "You've got to have a vision for it" she says.

Recognizing this, Schubert is taking a backseat. "I'm giving the directors as much freedom as possible," she says. "It's their show."