Alongside the return of live theatre is the return of staged One-Acts, directed by the AVPA-T seniors. As part of their Theatre Directing course, the Theatre seniors are granted the opportunity to take charge of their own short plays of their choosing. The plays vary with cast size, levity, set and costume, just as full length shows would. Students of all grades and academies are welcomed to audition to act or stage manage. While it may seem daunting being evaluated by a group of seniors, they all want you to do your best and are rooting for you! The audition process is stress-free, and they simply want you to enjoy and have your chance in the limelight. 

Anna Kordzakhia is one of the many talented seniors, and with her exceptionally creative mind, she chose the short play, “Eight.” It depicts how after a person dies, the person still has eight minutes of brain activity remaining where their life flashes before their eyes. “It’s kind of this downward spiral about how this main character is going through those eight minutes. I chose it because it has a much bigger cast than most 10 minute plays, and I love working with an ensemble of people,” Kordzakhia comments. “I think it touches upon some really interesting philosophical points about life and death.” 

She chose actors that were movement-based and who seemed to work well in a group of people. She is more than happy with the cast she selected: “I’m so lucky to have the cast. They’re all so amazing.” Kordzakhia is ecstatic to bring the One-Acts festival back in person and to “show everyone else how super fun this festival can be!”

Another senior with great talent is Anika Dhulipala. You may recognize her name as she played Rosaline in BCA’s recent spring musical, LLF: Don’t Trust the Boyz! The one act she chose was “Surprise!” by Mark Harvey Levine.

 In contrast to Kordzakhia’s play, Dhulipala’s is an absurd comedy. “I chose it because in the past I’ve tended to gravitate towards more serious pieces,” she admits. “I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and experiment with a comedy.” She has had so much fun directing this show. She loves directing in general, and “was quite terrified” at first, but with time she “got more comfortable with [her] actors and was able to enjoy the process more.” She feels confident and very prepared for the showings and for her actors and her play. 

Trisha Reddy, who is actually a sophomore from AMST, is a stage manager for Miles Rosenberg. The one act Rosenberg chose is called “Family Visitation.” A synopsis of this play is that there is a gay man who is trying to visit his boyfriend dying of AIDS but is being stopped by a homophobic nurse. Reddy describes the experience stage managing as “a little stressful” but “really fun!” 

Reddy previously appeared on the BCA stage as Mx. John in Rosaline Wrecked It All. The current job she has as a stage manager differs from her prior role as she is now working backstage. She expresses, “I like working more behind the scenes to help fulfill the director’s vision.”

Hannah Shinder, a theatre freshman, is a wonderful actress in “Dear Stephen” by Randy Assler. She plays the role of Catherine, a grandmother in her 90s who only communicates through Christian songs. Shinder has experience in working in full-length shows, and since this is her first one act, things have been a little different. 

Shinder shared, “Because of the limited amount of characters in my play–three–I find I am on stage for a longer time than I would usually be. My character is on stage for the entirety of the 10-minute play, which can seem very daunting at first but ultimately makes the experience even more fun than a typical play. The cast and creative team are much smaller, making the ability to create friendships with your castmates, directors, and stage managers much easier.” 

She has learned valuable lessons from being in the show. “One-Acts has taught me to be patient with myself and not jump to conclusions.” At first, she was a bit skeptical about playing a Christian grandmother as a Jewish teenager. However, she “learned that playing a character that is different from yourself can be extremely fun and rewarding.” She wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. She has had an amazing time working with her director, Lora Bednerak, her stage manager, and her fellow cast members.

The One-Acts festival spans over June 2 to June 4. The shows are divided into Group A and Group B. Group A will perform on June 2 at 6:30 and June 4 at 12:30 and 5:30. Group B will perform on June 3 at 6:30 and June 4 at 3:00 and 8pm. Each cast and crew member are so excited to be sharing these stories with you. Follow @bca_theatre_  on Instagram for more information!