Two weekends ago, Belmont Hill and Winsor performed 8 short one-act plays in a compilation entitled 8 Plays! (But Who’s Counting). Such plays included: But Who’s Counting, Go to the Light, The Bargain, Some Assembly Required, The Job Interview, Meanwhile at the Pentagon, The Last Cookie, and Man Day. Audiences were swung back and forth between funny slapstick, social commentary, and thought-provoking performances that kept viewers on their toes between plays. Mr. Ziff called the play “the best-acted performance I’ve seen at this school so far,” and student Cotter Healey ’26 remarked that he “really enjoyed the variety and dynamic nature of the plays.”
Logistically speaking, this performance was much harder to put on than may initially be assumed. The nature of doing 8 plays in roughly hour-long practices, three days a week, only allows for the students to practice on stage for 15 minutes a week. With just under 2 months of rehearsal, there is much pressure on the actors to practice and rehearse on their own time. As such, the fact that the performance turned out so well, with so little practice time and so many new actors (list new actors), demonstrates the dedication of the entire theater program and the skill of its members.
When asked about the play, Mr. DiResta (director), commented that “It’s incredibly heartening to see this cast and crew create something so meaningful, hilarious and magical out of some words on a piece of paper. They are the true storytellers. I’m so proud of the unique worlds and characters they’ve brought to life, and ultimately, my hope is that their performance inspires more of their classmates and friends to try theatre, and become confident, expressive and authentic public speakers themselves!”
Many of the same actors will return in this year’s all-school spring musical, Newsies, which just recently held its auditions – be sure to come by in the spring to see another amazing performance!
