On Feb. 3, Aragon’s Advanced Drama class hosted their annual Young Playwrights Project, a performance of eight student-produced plays, in the Aragon theater. Each student wrote a play for the project, and students voted on which to perform. Students then participated in the production process either as actors or directors.
Drama teacher Shane Smuin oversaw the Young Playwrights Project.
“[Students employed] the magic of creativity,” Smuin said. “As their teacher, I have to step back and let it happen when it does. You can’t force a flower to bloom.”
The plays touched on various emotions through different genres.
Sophomore Quincy Romero’s “The Time?” explored a tragic love story between two dying robots who are told that the world will end in eight minutes. Through lighthearted romantic interactions, Shu-bot and Kai-bot enjoyed their last date, ending with Kai-bot’s marriage proposal. As the stage dimmed to a symbolic dark red, Shu-bot’s final monologue detailed how her long yet banal life transformed after falling in love.
Assembling his play has helped Romero appreciate the collaborative nature of drama class.
“[In] the end, you’re not alone,” Romero said. “You have your classmates and friends working hard with you to get to their goal as well.”
“My play [is] a Wattpad fanfiction [that] come[s] to life”
Senior Jane Palladino’s comedic play, “Jesus Loves You,” told the story of Mrs. Claus’ religious experience after finding out about her husband’s infidelity. Mrs. Claus calls Jesus to help save Christmas and her love life. The pair shared several flirtatious moments before being accosted by Mr. Claus, but in the end, Jesus prevailed, carrying his new love off the stage.
The students drew inspiration from various sources. Senior Gemma Gibeault’s “Building Benevolence’’ parodied the hit show “Breaking Bad,” where instead of creating methamphetamine, chemistry teacher Salter Sight and student Bessie Purplelad accidentally discover the cure for cancer.
Gibeault’s play was a testament to her appreciation of the show.
“I’ve never liked a show this much,” Gibeault said. “[And] I’m a pretty tough critic. [It was hard] trying to write my own lines to make it sound like the [original] characters, but if I ever got stuck, I would just put an episode [of “Breaking Bad”] on.”
Senior Sophia Rodriguez Guardado directed “Bad Fanfiction,” depicting a meet-cute in a train car between Luca, a cynical florist lamenting past romantic let-downs, and Ophelia, a charming stranger. Romantic tensions peaked when Ophelia suggested that Luca accompany her on a breakfast date. The pair walked off the stage to the melody of “Ophelia” by The Lumineers.
“My play [is] a Wattpad fanfiction [that] come[s] to life,” Rodriguez Guardado said.
Junior Sacha Perlson produced “Accidentally Aired Pod,” which depicted three clashing podcasters who try to pick a discussion topic: an uptight philosopher, a valley-girl influencer insistent on discussing low-rise jeans and a jock passionate about protein powder. The play drew to a close when a fan revealed that they had accidentally aired their entire argument.
Through the project, Perlson discovered the vastly creative nature of playwriting.
“[It was hard] trying to write my own lines to make it sound like the [original] characters, but if I ever got stuck, I would just put an episode [of “Breaking Bad”] on”
“I think the best part was writing,” Perlson said. “[The project] helped me realize that I could write whatever I want and [that there are] endless possibilities.”
Senior Kamaile Zimmerman’s play, “Murder for Dummies,” featured a comically incompetent investigator amid a painfully obvious murder mystery. After numerous dramatic yet false assumptions and several unexpected plot twists, the guilty suspect was finally arrested.
However, assembling a complex play was not without its challenges.
“Trust the process,” Zimmerman said. “When you’re watching [the play’s creation], it’s usually really rough. But [in] the end … it always pulls itself together.”
Junior Phoenix Seevers’ “Norah” was the only drama of the night. Set in an interrogation room, the play depicted a confrontation between Joan, the cold-blooded killer of eight-year-old Norah, and an investigator named Detective Brenner, who is later revealed to be Norah’s grieving father. As tensions escalated, Detective Brenner resolved the conflict through a game of Russian Roulette. The lights faded just as he fired the final shot — at Joan.
The first shot in Detective Brenner’s game of Russian Roulette was unscripted. The track gun used to simulate gunshots accidentally fired backstage. Senior Seth Weinfield, who portrayed Detective Brenner, played it off as a warning shot. He recalls his thought process in that moment.
“I was absolutely taken aback,” Weinfield said. “I think experience does definitely play a role. I’m on [Aragon’s] improv team. But there was definitely a moment [where] I was like, ‘Oh crap, what’s happening right now.’”
“…There was definitely a moment [where] I was like, ‘Oh crap, what’s happening right now’”
Senior Eddie Georgievski produced “Blood, Metal, and Cotton,” set aboard a spaceship centuries after Earth’s destruction. Filled with humorous innuendos and occasional profanities, the play featured interactions of a vampire named Vladimir, his sock puppet Dimitry, and his robot assistant Moblit. Touching on motifs of love and alienation, Vladimir overcomes his desire to end his immorality by realizing his closeted affections for Moblit.
Audience members reflect on the performances.
“Everybody was so amazing,” said freshman Samantha Green. “The stories are so different … [and] it’s hard to do so much in 10 minutes, but they were all really well done.”
Senior Lucas Imboden agrees that the plays were impressive.
“I think all of the plays [displayed] a really high level of talent in the drama class,” Imboden said. “The funny ones [we]re funny, [and] the dramatic ones really pack[ed] a punch.”
As the curtains close on this year’s Young Playwrights showcase, Aragon Drama prepares to perform “The Diary of Anne Frank” on March 10-12 and 17-19.
