After months of planning, the Jackson-Reed Players proudly presented One Acts in late May. One Acts is a compilation of 9 skits that students have written, directed, and acted in. We wanted to take a closer look behind the curtains of this impressive production, so we stopped by before opening night.
Walking in, we immediately saw the hustle and bustle evident in the Black Box. The Players were hard at work getting the stage ready for opening night. Building sets, practicing lines, preparing lighting, the Players do it all.
“Jackson Reed players and the One Acts are incredibly self-sufficient and independent,” commented teacher sponsor Ms. Braganza, “they tackle everything.” The Players dedication is obvious and it never wanes despite their workload.
Senior Player Will Carlyle-Dadson emphasized the Players collaboration, saying “everyone does everything. We just split up the work; we all are on the same playing field.”
We then walked over to where senior Players Frances Leibowitz and Henry Brylawski were perched up on a ladder setting up the stage curtains. Leibowitz recounted the extra work that the Players put in, even day of: “Everyone else, like actors and directors, are called at 5:30 but the Players have to be here as soon as school ends.”
In addition to ensuring that the skits are funny and entertaining, Players must also put their foot down when a skit crosses the line. According to Leibowitz, the Players “usually [produce] like 10 scripts, and [they] receive, like 15.” This means the Players must decide amongst themselves which skits make the cut or not.
Next on our BTS tour, we made our way to the lighting booth, where we struggled to climb up the steep, crooked ladder. Seniors Sam Lee and Jax Downey were running the show, despite not being Players. “I’m kind of learning as I go along, because it’s my first time doing sound for One Acts, but I’m having fun doing it, experimenting with some new tech stuff in my senior year,” Jax stated, describing the welcoming environment of the Players.
For many actors, being in One Acts is a place where they can go to express themselves and have fun. “I have like no acting experience,” Junior Skylar Luebbert said. “It’s very low stakes and it’s very fun.”
Even if acting isn’t your cup of tea, going to One Acts is an experience of its own. After learning about the behind-the-scenes, we HAD to get tickets of our own. Whether it was the high-quality scripts or the mom’s reactions to One Acts X-rated humor, we couldn’t contain our laughter. Either way, One Acts is a must-see, and the work that goes on behind the scenes is proof of JR students’ commitment to self-expression and humor. •