Spartan Theatre’s VHSL One-Act won various recognitions and showcased captivating student talent this year.

“It Makes You Think” by senior Alayna Steele won third place at the VHSL district level and second place at the regional level. Senior Nick Frazier and sophomore Dia Tafilaj, who starred in the piece, were recognized as part of the all-star cast, while senior Thomas Seeger achieved the third best acting performance out of all collective regional VHSL one-acts. Spartan Theatre’s one-act was the only student-written piece at this competitive level.

“I wanted to write something that people could see and think ‘Oh, I do that,’ and I feel as though I achieved that with this script. I wanted the show to be relatable for other high-schoolers and teenagers to see,” described Steele.

The one-act details the lives of several high school students as they manage their way through societal pressures, relationships, moving, and other conflicts teenagers face daily. The one-act was directed and cast by Speech and Drama teacher Maeve Nash. 

“The first rehearsal that we did with the actors actually working through each scene, I was like a child. It was really exciting to spend time writing something and see people take the dialogue and amplify it. It was neat to see actors’ choices with this script, as the actors are the first people playing these characters and they really rounded out who each person is.” said Steele.

Each actor involved with the show took apart the script and spent time dissecting their character and motivations. Sophomore Dia Tafilaj portrayed Piper, a thoughtful but insecure student who is conflicted after the new girl Becca seemingly attracts the attention of her long-time romantic interest and friend Marcus.

“When formulating Piper, I definitely had to sit down and think about what her objectives were as a character. I also asked Alayna and Ms. Nash a lot of questions about who Piper is as a person. Overall, it really helped when I tried connecting with Piper,” detailed Tafilaj. “I tried finding aspects of her life that were similar to mine in order to form a personal connection with the character.”

The one-act, along with other VHSL submissions, brought a strengthened sense of community. Steele recounts similar thoughts, citing the cast and crew as especially talented.

“It was a big project for costumes to articulate the relationship between all characters through appearance, but they did an amazing job. [Crew] did incredible with the set and scene changes too,” said Steele. “Also, AJ Brandt did amazing with sound design; the lights team did wonderful as well. Everyone did really well!”

Overall, “It Makes You Think” succeeded in all technical and comedic aspects alike, bringing a relatable and nuanced show created by high school students to a likewise audience.

“I know the actors were nervous and excited; I was nervous and excited. It’s so rewarding to see something that you and the actors have worked hard on to be performed and get amazing feedback,” said Steele. “I was really honored to just have everyone on that stage performing my work. It was incredibly fulfilling.”