Carlmont’s Advanced Drama students brought nine productions to the stage during the One-Act Festival on March 26 and 27, showcasing their creativity through acting, directing, and playwriting.
The performances explored a range of genres and themes, from satire to comedy, highlighting the breadth of student talent. This production was particularly special, as not only were the acting, directing, and technical elements student-run, but three of the one-acts were also completely student-written.
“The One-Act Festival is an annual tradition that began many years before I came to the school. Every student in the Advanced Drama class has a role as a director, actor, or technician, taking on multiple jobs,” said Elizabeth Berg, the Carlmont drama teacher. “I want each student director to feel empowered to create their own vision for their particular show. This year’s festival is a wonderful testament to our students’ range and skill as artists.”
Over the past two months, students rehearsed across rotating class blocks and after-school sessions, working within limited time constraints to develop multiple productions simultaneously.
Sophomore Josephine Anderson, who performed in three of the one-acts, reflected on her experience in the festival.
“I really enjoyed performing in the festival because the genres are so diverse. Some are more funny, some are more serious, and it shows how versatile we are and how we can make the audience feel different emotions,” Anderson said.
Despite the variety seen on stage, the process required significant time and effort behind the scenes.
“Since we had limited time and resources, it was difficult to prepare, and for me, remembering the lines was a struggle,” Anderson said. “Everyone had different schedules as well, and we were all busy. It’s a lot to manage, because we had to come prepared beforehand, and rehearsals and shows run late into the night, past 8 p.m.”
Additionally, each production required careful coordination behind the scenes. Sophomore Lucas Papa, who wrote and directed “FLOP!!” alongside fellow junior Clara Lewis, described the challenges and rewards of leading a student-written production.
“FLOP!!”, one of the featured one-acts, centers on a community theater production of a fictional play, “Amelia Earhart: The Plane Play”, following a conflict between two girls in competition for lead roles.
“It was a long-term commitment. I started over the summer, and I worked up to last-minute deadlines. I also had to direct my actors and make sure that we performed something we were all happy with,” Papa said. “However, seeing the actors enjoy themselves on stage was worth it.”
Audience members also noted the creativity and the energy of the performances. Chris Papa, one of the audience members, said he was impressed by the overall quality of the performances.
“I had no idea what to expect going in, but the acts were pretty funny and well put together. I was really impressed by how students could create something from scratch and bring it to life,” Chris Papa said.
He added that seeing the process close up gave him a deeper appreciation for the effort involved.
“There was a lot of pressure on both the directors and the actors. I saw my son, Lucas, writing and coming up with the story, the jokes, and everything. It just went to show how much work went in,” Chris Papa said. “It’s hard to just put together a short performance, so seeing them do full one-acts, which were longer, made it even more impressive.”
Chris Papa also highlighted the sense of community within the drama program.
“Events like these definitely bring the drama kids together because everyone is rooting for each other,” Chris Papa said.
The festival also demonstrated how programs like this can influence students to join the drama program.
“Watching festivals when I was in middle school, before I joined drama, really drew me into the program. I don’t think many schools allow students to perform their own shows,” Anderson said. “This was special because my middle school, Tierra Linda, didn’t have a drama program at that time.”
Later this spring, students in the drama program will continue performing in other productions, including A Case of Inheritance and their end-of-the-year Advanced Drama Showcase.
Ultimately, the festival reflected the work and dedication students put into shaping every aspect of production.
“Everyone underestimates the power that students have. In this show, we demonstrated the work that we’re able to do, from driving the production, acting, and also directing,” Lucas Papa said.
