Oak Park and River Forest High School will host its 32nd Annual One-Acts Festival on April 18, bringing students together for a unique theater experience that unfolds in just one day.
The event is designed to encourage creativity, teamwork, and leadership among students. Participants prepare independently before coming together for an intensive rehearsal and performance process that begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes with a public show at 7 p.m.
“This is really an event to give students an opportunity to work with one another on something they may not have had a chance to do before,” said Patt Cheney, Director of International Thespian Society Troupe #5405. Unlike traditional productions that rehearse over several weeks, the festival challenges participants to be ready with memorized scripts and collaborate quickly.
The festival features both student performers and directors. Student directors guide their casts through the creative process, gaining experience in storytelling and communication. “It’s about giving students the opportunity to direct and act, even if they haven’t had that chance before,” Cheney said.
Performances include published one-act plays as well as original works by students or staff. Minimal sets focus attention on acting and directing skills. The festival also serves as a fundraiser for small scholarships awarded annually through the Eitrheim Award for Excellence in Dramatic Arts.
Oak Park and River Forest High School enrolled 3,393 students in grades nine through twelve during the 2019-2020 school year according to the Illinois Report Card. Of these students, grade ten represented the largest group at 26.2 percent of enrollment; other grades each made up roughly a quarter of total enrollment according to Illinois Report Card. The school’s student body was composed of approximately 56.9 percent white students, with black (18.2 percent), Hispanic (12.6 percent), and Asian (3.8 percent) populations making up much of the remainder according to Illinois Report Card.
Reflecting on the tradition since its start in 1994, Cheney said: “We are quite proud of this tradition… The students put so much into one day, and it gives them an experience they’ll remember.”
The OPRF community is invited to attend this showcase supporting student talent.
