The Cloverleaf High School Drama Department’s 2019 One-Act Play Festival opens at 4 p.m. May 5 on the Cloverleaf Elementary School stage. This year’s festival includes five one-act plays under the direction of the senior members of the CHS Drama Club.

“The seniors have selected some good shows that will provide plenty of laughs and entertainment,” said CHS Drama Club advisor John Carmigiano. “Despite not being able to start casting until after spring break in early April, I am sure they will get their shows ready to go and organized in time.”

The first play is “Why I am a Bachelor” by Conrad Seiler, directed by Lexi Hunter. In this comedy, a lecturer explains why marriage is not all it is cracked up to be through a series of amusing and perplexing situations.  

“I like how this is a show with a small cast and each character is able to be developed,” Hunter said. “It is just a funny show with funny, fourth wall breaks.”

The second play of the night is “Check Please” by Jonathan Rand, directed by Kevin Chudzinski and Kyle Chudzinski. Through a series of blind dates, the message becomes very clear. If a date can get worse, it will. Rand shows in this piece that dating can be really hard. 

“I think it is pretty chill to direct because I get to work with friends who have not been on stage before,” Kyle Chudzinski said. “Also, I get to see what it’s like to be on the other side of the play without having to memorize all the lines.”

The third play is “Imperfect Proposal” by Lisa Parry, directed by Corina Rivera. A young couple hoping to have a special moment at the local park gets more than they bargained for as everyone seems to want to be a part of it. 

“Directing my peers is a fun experience because I went from being on stage with them to teaching them,” Rivera said. “It’s nice to work with their talents and create a show from my own vision.”

The fourth play in the lineup is “So the Jury Was Hung,” by Jack Steele. It will be directed by Julian Everstijn. In this comedy, a jury made up of one man and 11 women may prove to be too much for the lone wolf. You have never seen a jury quite like this one!

“It’s very cool to finally see what directing feels like,” Evertijn said. “I’m excited to see something performed that I get to put my name by.” 

The last play of the night is “The Great American Talent Show” by Joseph Robinette. The play is directed by Grace Winrod. It’s a parody of shows like “American Idol” and “America’s Got Talent” with three judges calling the shots. Who will make the final cut and win? You will have to tune in!

“Directing my peers has been a great opportunity and it is nice to see their abilities,” Winrod said. “We have incorporated (all of our) ideas into this show. Picking a show was kind of difficult because I wanted a show that my cast would enjoy performing and the audience would enjoy watching.”

Carmigiano is pleased with the enthusiasm and excitement of the senior directors. The students took their time to research and find the right play that resonated with them.

“I hope that directing the shows will be everything they had hoped for,” said Carmigiano. “I am sure they will have some tough decisions to make and have the opportunity to see what it is like from the director’s perspective.”

The house opens at 3:30 p.m. and admission is $5 for all ages at the door. Cloverleaf Elementary School is located at 8337 Friendsville Rd. in Westfield Township.

For information, please contact John Carmigiano at [email protected].