Senior directed one-acts auditions complete, casts set

Posted April 2021

By Graciela Del Rosario

Staff Reporter

Raise the curtains and get into positions! The Theater Department recently completed its annual One-Act Festival auditions on March 10-11, and the casts are set and rehearsals underway for their COVID safe showcases.

The Theatre Department announced on March 4 it would be gearing up for the student-directed one-act auditions the following week, via Google Meets. Including theater instructor Michael Givler, 10 seniors have prepped seven individual plays ranging from 15-minute comedies to 20-minute dramas and short films. These plays include comedic productions about topics like dysfunctional technology, neighborly marriages, and comedy horrors. Provided also are a fair number of deeper plays focusing on more serious subjects, such as mental health, racism, and the uptake of movements like Black Lives Matter.

After Regionals for theatre students in the second week of February, the Theatre IV class was given free choice as to how they will spend their final quarter of theatre in Quarter 3. Givler proposed a multitude of ideas and royalty-free scripts, and the seniors ultimately decided on opening one-acts this year. From casting to directing lessons, the Theatre IV curriculum weaved in accordance with the One-Acts and gave the seniors one last chance at their high school theatre experience. Due to COVID-19 and quarantine starting in March 2020, One-Acts and any pre-planned productions from last year were unfortunately halted, but returning the One-Act Festival this year is bringing back the spotlight onto the student showcases.

“It is hard to be motivated during COVID because every day feels like a Saturday,” said Givler. “I think trading what we don’t know for a new unknown will keep a lot of people home. I think that getting over that hump, people will feel more like themselves.”

Auditions were held on March 10 from 2-4 p.m. and on March 11 from 1-3 p.m. With about 25-30 open roles, the directors were able to cast all 24 students who showed up either day, which guaranteed double-casting amongst a couple of students. The process was simple: students were asked to show up to either of the available days through the provided Google Meet code. Introductions between the 10 directors ensued and each described what their overall productions would be about. After introductions, students were grouped together and placed in breakout rooms with different directors. Each group would then rotate between seven different rooms, meet each director, and audition for all seven productions. After the two days of auditions, directors met up Friday morning to compile cast lists and determine which students would fit the best roles according to each director’s standards.

Givler commends the smooth and professional audition process students were able to harbor throughout, with little to no technology problems, from casting out interest forms to the day casts lists rolled out. Rehearsals for the one-acts began smoothly and efficiently for all seven productions, and all students are gearing up for filming and performing their pieces early to middle April. Some shows are formatted like David Douglas’s earlier production, War of the Worlds, where students were filmed individually and then edited together. Others have decided to film with their entire cast together, but without a live audience in order to comply with Oregon’s current COVID guidelines.

“These are really passionate, young theater-makers who are really interested in what they’re doing,” said Givler. “Every, single one of them in that class has been recognized for the strength of their acting and they’re really motivated, and it’s an inspiration.”