By Madison Miller-Retsch

May 2026

Laughter echoes through the halls of the Arts Hallway as rookie actors pantomime their scenes and bumble through their cues, absurd being the only way to describe the story playing out. Just a few doors down, the energy is more tense and screams can be heard from actors practicing their reactions to a dead body. This is just a glimpse into rehearsal for students involved in TJ Theater’s Spring One Acts, or Starving for the Arts — “10 Ways to Survive Senior Assassin” and “Starline 117."

So what are the One-Acts? The truth is, the vast majority of the student population, not to mention the broader West Jefferson Hills community, has no idea that there are theater productions after the famous musical season concludes. Senior student director Natalya Turner emphasizes this issue: “We still have a theater program after the musical. We’re still alive over here.” Even the most enthusiastic of parents may be surprised to hear that, on a handful of random spring weekdays, TJ Theater is putting on two short One Act plays. The One Acts are quite unusual, as they are run by students and typically star underclassmen. They are each about 30 minutes long and are put together over the span of a few weeks, in stark contrast to Fall Play and Spring Musical’s months of preparation. 

What’s the point of these plays, then? An unknown show run by inexperienced directors and even more inexperienced actors? For all we know, they are thrown together with tape and rubber bands, trying to live up to a fraction of what our award-winning Fall Plays and Spring Musicals are. Well, a grand production isn’t exactly the point of the Spring One-Acts. The One-Acts are incredible shows that can undoubtedly entertain an audience— in fact, they’re some students’ favorite production. But, even if that’s not the case, the One-Acts serve a larger, more intentional purpose. 

It is incredibly hard for anybody, especially those without seniority, to land a role in TJ’s two major productions. Compared to some other high schools, TJ has a very large and talented group of theatrically inclined students. We usually have over 60 people audition for the Fall Play and Spring Musical, so you can imagine how hard it is to choose just a handful of people for principal roles. It’s expected for a group so massive and impressive to have pretty competitive auditions, and the fact that TJ takes their shows very seriously contributes heavily to this as well. 

Having such a renowned theater department means that, naturally, those with lots of experience acting or being on stage in general tend to be given larger roles so that the production can be the best it can be. However, people who don’t have much of a theatrical background are often put in the ensemble. It’s an unfortunate reality for these newbie underdogs that they are in the background of a production for the majority of the time. 

Since the ensemble members do not have speaking parts, these students don’t gain an in-depth acting experience in time for next year’s shows. Sure, they could take a class or join an outside production; however, these classes are often conflicting (outside or inside the school) due to busy schedules. The cast members who are often overlooked deserve a chance to have their time in the spotlight as well, without the anxiety that comes along with the major production. 

That’s where the One-Acts come in! Instead of harboring the intense “best of the best” nature of our major productions, these shows are more laid-back, and are made to give inexperienced students a taste of what really being in a production is like. Underclassmen are given a chance to shine on stage and show directors what they’ve got. Also, students who are intimidated by the prospect of being in a huge production but would like to give acting a shot often make their debuts in the One Acts, as there is much less pressure on actors. Meanwhile, more upperclassmen take on a new perspective as an ensemble or a backstage role. These new actors who are given a chance typically shine in these shows; it’s very impressive to anybody who witnesses these students with minimal training or experience thrive as soon as they’re given a shot. Theater director Julie Tipton remarked, “When people come on stage, they come alive. I’ve seen theater transform so many people.”

It can also revitalize people’s passion and enjoyment for being on stage once the stress of competition for roles is removed. Addison Kauffman, a junior at TJ and actress in “Starline 117,” commented on this: “It makes you realize what's important to you. It makes you realize that you're capable of things you didn't think you were…my worth isn't from getting the lead in the musical.” This is exemplary of the positive energy and lessons that are brought from the One Acts. Clearly, for a lot of people, these small shows mean a whole lot.

Another aspect is that student leaders throughout our main productions are given the opportunity to direct the shows. There’s a large number of directors this year, including  Vaughn Leccia and Elliot Steitler directing “Starline 117,” following the odd encounter between people in an airport and a weird man, and Natalie Schank and Alivia Zulka directing “10 Ways to Survive Senior Assassination,” a silly guide on how to survive senior assassin. Also, Natalya Turner has taken up the responsibility of overseeing direction for both One-Acts, thanks to experience being a student director from Fall Play. 

For our five directors, this means deciding and putting together every detail of the show, all on their own time. This experience teaches a lot to the students who choose to take the opportunity; skills like leadership and independence are gained through taking charge and leading our young actors.

All in all, the One Acts are vital to our theater community, providing more opportunities for students where they otherwise might struggle to find it in the hectic times of TJ’s main productions. These little shows are, in fact, not very little at all. We need the One Acts just as much as we need Fall Play and Spring Musical, so go support them! 

Danny is a senior at TJ and Stage Manager for TJ theater who plans to attend Penn West University this fall with a major in Biology.

Do you have original work you want to see here? Send any compositions (poetry or prose) and/or artwork to both Danny (of98638@students.wjhsd.net) and Mrs. Kaszonyi (lkaszonyi@wjhsd.net) for a chance to be published in our next edition!