ONE-ACT SYNOPSES cont. The Internet is Distract--Oh Look a Kitten! by Ian McWethy; Oak Creek HS. The Internet is the place we go to fill those few minutes when we have to wait for something or to be completely distracted when what we really need to do is get some work done. Micah needs to finish the essay she procrastinated on before she heads off to school for the day. When she just needs to check a few facts, the Internet’s many characters work to distract her and worse. Whether Internet savvy or not, everyone will recognize the Internet come to life in this zany comedy. Captain Theatre Nerd and the Magnificent Techies by Jon Jory; Oconto Falls HS. Let Captain Theatre Nerd take you on a whirlwind tour of the history of theater from ridiculous melodramas to sweeping musicals. Everything on stage happens just as it’s supposed to, except when it goes horribly and hilariously wrong. Actors on strike, indecisive directors, wrong cues and costumes... But the show must go on! Right? Leave it to the techies to save the day. Family Tree Trunk by Brady Boebel; Platteville HS. Brooke inherits the family trunk on her 21st birthday. Inside are family heirlooms and memories. Some of her family members have humorous tales, and some are much darker. Regardless, Brooke learns the importance of family and passing down stories in this short show. I Don’t Want to Talk About It by Bradley Hayward; Platteville HS. Being a teenager is hard, and nobody wants to talk about it. Confronting the daily challenges of growing up, this series of monologues and scenes offers a look at a multitude of issues - including dealing with parents who just don’t get it, rumors, bullying, and suicide. By turns funny and tragic, the gritty details of adolescence surface - exposing the things teenagers can’t, won’t, and don’t want to talk about. This was written as a Reader’s Theatre-type show. Me, My Selfie & I by Jonathan Dorf; Pulaski HS. Through a series of scenes and monologues, the show explores the nature of our selfie-obsessed world. Are people truly living their lives or simply documenting them? The Insanity of Mary Girard by Lanie Robertson; Regis HS. In 1790, Mary Girard is committed to an asylum. After Mary became pregnant by another man, her husband had her declared legally insane. Now, Mary sits in a chair as the “furies” dance around and impersonate people from her past. By the end of this haunting and highly theatrical piece, she has grown rather convincingly into her diagnosis. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, adapted by Judine Brey; Regis HS. When 7-year-old Sara Crewe first enrolls in Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary, she has all the advantages that cause some students to dub her “a little princess:” wealth, intelligence, and a sweet disposition. However, the untimely death of her doting father - and his financial ruin - create a turn of events that tests Sara’s princess-like qualities. 32
2020 WISCONSIN HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE FESTIVAL