A Recap of KCI's Spotlight: A Night of One Acts

Written by: Maya Paddon

On the evenings of Thursday, May 1st, and Friday, May 2nd, 37 students took the stage to perform in KCI Drama’s inaugural Spotlight production. In its entirety, the show consisted of three student-directed one-act plays: Street Wise, Lost in Translation, and The Odyssey. 

The idea of having a ‘night of one-acts’ came to be through Mr. Graham pitching the idea to semester one’s senior drama class, said Ridley Coates, co-director of The Odyssey. Ridley continued, “He [Mr. Graham] wanted to give students the opportunity to direct, while not putting too much on their plate, hence, the director pairs for each ‘small’ show.” Locke Amaral, co-director of Street Wise, added, “It was a toss-up between one full-length play, or two to three one-act plays. Ultimately, the one-act plays were chosen, and we came away with Spotlight.” 

Read more for a thorough look at each one-act, as well as some behind-the-scenes details about each of them! 

Street Wise :

Written and directed by Locke Amaral and Spencer Merino, Street Wise featured the largest cast out of each one-act, and was also the longest of the three. Set during the prohibition period, the story followed a young bootlegger named Sam Hill as he acquired the knowledge to master the art of social interaction, eventually leading to some farcical assassination attempts against him. 

Through flamboyant costumes, musical accompaniment, amusing lines and character interactions, as well as simple, yet effective props and set pieces portraying a speakeasy, Street Wise transported audiences back to the 1920s, offering a comedic beginning to Spotlight. 

When discussing his favourite elements of the directorial process, Locke commented on how inspiring it was to collaborate with his cast and crew. He noted that the performers in Street Wise brought “life and light to rehearsals,” and were “genuinely invested in performing.” Locke concluded by expressing his gratitude towards Stage Crew, Art Crew, and the woodworking classes for tackling major behind-the-scenes aspects of the show, saying that they “produced a VERY impressive look for all three shows.” 

Lost in Translation : 

This one-act was directed by grade 12 students Sophia Fedotenko and Adele Melamud, and depicted the emergence of a close relationship between two young men: Nick from London, England, and Oliver from New York City. The two meet through a digital portal connecting their respective home cities and grow closer through each interaction. But, as Nick starts to confront his difficult past with his parents, who struggle to accept him, his and Oliver’s bond begins to suffer. 

Lost in Translation included several sizeable set pieces, including two park benches, and a large circular structure representing the digital portal. This one-act utilized lighting to represent different settings, such as a park, as well as Nick’s house. The accent work used by the characters of Nick and his parents also distinguished the locations of London and New York City from one another. To top it all off, Lost in Translation featured unique staging to convey the touching story and growing relationship between Nick and Oliver. 

When discussing her favourite aspects of the rehearsal process, Adele expressed her gratitude towards her cast: "Getting to work with the actors at KCI has been so amazing. They are all so talented, patient and dedicated, and each person brought so much positivity and humour to rehearsals which made the directing process incredibly fun and an unforgettable experience." 

Ultimately, despite its small cast and 20-25 minute run time, Lost in Translation was filled with emotion and authenticity.  

The Odyssey : 

Directed by Zane McKinnon and Ridley Coates, The Odyssey was originally a poem by Homer, an Ancient Greek poet, and was then adapted by R.N. Sandberg. The story follows the epic, challenge-filled journeys experienced by a father, Odysseus, who is making his way home by sea, and his son, Telemachus. 

This one-act incorporated a massive wooden set piece depicting a boat, remarkable costumes that evidently portrayed various Greek mythological characters, along with impressive sound effects to enhance the emotion and intensity of each scene. The Odyssey was packed with dramatic storylines and grand battles, ultimately offering a powerful and memorable ending to KCI’s inaugural Spotlight production. 

When reflecting on his directorial role as he helped to bring The Odyssey to life, Ridley mentioned how exciting it was to work with younger students: “I find it so exciting to direct younger actors. I’m thrilled to see so much talent and potential from them.” Ridley added that he has learned a lot about himself throughout the directorial process, as well, saying, “Being a director is one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. I have never thought of myself as a leader, but through this process, I can honestly say that opinion of myself has started to change.” 

Meanwhile, Zane noted that he enjoyed getting to thoroughly explore The Odyssey through directing: “My favourite part of the directing process has been to understand the story better than I would in any other role. I feel really attached to The Odyssey and like I really know it well now.” 

What’s Next?

Via Instagram, KCI Drama recently announced that the next Spotlight production will take place in the spring of 2027! 

Locke, Ridley, and Zane all concurred that Spotlight is an incredible opportunity for students looking to take on either a performance or directorial role. For instance, Locke commented, “The variety of creative visions being presented over one night is really something to witness. There really has never been anything else like it.” Zane noted, “Spotlight is different because of the increased number of KCI students involved, and students being involved in more ways such as the directing and playwriting roles.” Ridley communicated a similar idea to Zane, explaining that a show like Spotlight offers students the creative challenge of taking on multiple roles: “It [Spotlight] is different because of how many cast members play multiple roles across multiple shows, getting to show their range as actors,” he concluded. 

Congratulations to all performers, directors, and the members of Art Crew, Stage Crew, and the woodworking classes on their success with Spotlight!