Finding Mr. or Ms. Right, landing a dignifying job or even making the cut in the cheer team are challenges that many may encounter at some point in their lives.
Next week, the Oak Harbor High School Drama Club will share some comical and relatable — and perhaps a tad exaggerated — examples of these universal tales of woe at the annual Drama Fest, an event featuring student-directed one-act plays.
This year’s picks are “Speed Date,” directed by Adriana Froman and Dana Rivo, “So You Wanna Be a Cheerleader” directed by Laurianna Newcomb and Logan Hendricks, and “The Customer is Always Wrong,” directed by Cyrus Amor and Ashley Mendoza.
Club Advisor and Drama Teacher Micki Gibson, who gets her own brief moment of stardom in “So You Wanna Be a Cheerleader,” tells students who wish to direct that the role is comparable to running a small business, as they have to schedule, manage auditions and resolve any conflicts in the cast.
“Communication, cooperation and commitment are the biggest keys,” she said.
Dana Rivo, who is directing for the second year in a row, said the biggest challenge is turning her vision into reality, which takes time and patience and may lead to some conflict between co-directors. The senior is co-directing “Speed Date” with Adriana Froman.
The play was originally written by Janet Allard and offers a glimpse into the chaos of speed dating and searching for love in a crowd of strangers, all of whom are quirky in their own way.
“For those compatible or not compatible, the journey is always endless,” Rivo said in an email.
For student actors, Drama Fest is a good way to start small, get involved early and get familiar with their upperclassmen, according to Gibson.
Community members who want to laugh and support the club can snatch a seat at Oak Harbor High School for $10. Drama Fest takes place Nov. 14-16. Doors open at 6:30 and the show starts at 7 p.m.
(Photo by Luisa Loi) Drama Teacher Micki Gibson shows the cheerleading team her cheer talent in a scene from “So You Wanna Be a Cheerleader.”
(Photo by Luisa Loi) A strict mother prepares the babysitter hire for the job.
