The theater program recently had a community performance of their One Act Play “David and Lisa” last night at 7 p.m. at Vandegrift. The One Act Play is a short performance that the theater program performs for a competition against other schools similar to UIL for other musical programs.

“A musical is supposed to be light and fluffy and lots of fun,” theater teacher and director of One Act Neal Gage said. “The one act play is all about finding extremely dramatic moments and giving them an artistic twist. Plus it’s a lot shorter, and with no dancing or singing.”

The play that was chosen is “David and Lisa”, a story about two teenagers, one who is afraid of physical contact with others and one with split personality disorder, who develop a close relationship.

“The play is about young people with problems, and how connecting to each other helps them overcome those issues,” Gage said. “It’s a good message about love and support which is something we all need.”

While Gage is in charge of the show overall, student assistant stage managers help drive the show in the right direction by overseeing rehearsals, taking blocking notes so actors know where to be in different scenes, keep actors and crew in line, and instruct run crew when and where to move props for scene changes.

“I provide a voice of authority that’s maybe a little more approachable than the directors, someone people can go to with questions, and have an active role in making sure the show goes smoothly by helping the rest of the crew perform their assigned tasks when they’re supposed to,” sophomore assistant stage manager Jenna Hoover said.

The assistant stage managers are also in charge of the technical effects that add to the show’s flair and emotion.

“I’m in charge of the special lights on the stage,” Hoover said. “We use those to highlight dramatic moments in the show, and we also have a hazer, sort of like a fog machine, that runs throughout the duration of the show.”

Apart from the director’s reasons for choosing “David and Lisa”, each student has their own connection to the play and their own interpretation of its message.

“This show, to me, tries to explain that even people with mental illnesses have the same sorts of problems that people [with] ‘normal’ minds have, and even if they may not necessarily seem so to others, they’re very much human,” Hoover said. “It shows that your birth family may not be the best for you and that’s okay, that it’s more important to put your mental health over the demands of those around you, and that even if you feel stuck in a situation there’s always a way to make it better and fix it.”

The theater program will perform their play for the One Act play competition on Thursday this week.