Like Shakespeare, I’ve always believed that “brevity is the soul of wit.” I’ve never told a joke or anecdote in my entire life, but if you need a snappy one-liner, I’m your guy. It’ll take me a while to get through a full-length novel, but give me a book of short stories or essays, and I’m a happy camper. I could sit through two or three episodes of the same TV series in a row, but a two-plus hour movie? Snoozeville. Heck, I’ve pretty much made a career out of something called ‘30 Seconds.’ Talk about a short attention span.
That’s why I look forward to the Sherburne-Earlville Drama Club production every fall, in which director Colleen Law-Tefft marches her junior thespians through an evening of one-act plays. Short, witty and rapidly-paced, the dozen or so short plays are perfect for those like myself with attention deficit disorder. Whether you’re really engrossed by one or not so into it, another will be along in ten minutes.
This year’s show, being staged tonight and Saturday at 7 p.m., is called “Deja Vu.” Literary genius that I am, it wasn’t until I sat through the first half of the show in dress rehearsal last night that I realized what the title meant. I could have sworn I’d seen that “Ferris Wheel” one-act before, but not with Nicole Carpenter and Brent Guiles. I go to a lot of high school plays ... maybe it was in another school district? No, Sherlock, “Deja Vu” means that most of the plays in this weekend’s show have been done in past S-E productions. Given that Law-Tefft has been at this over a dozen years, it’s likely that, like me, you’ll only have vague recollections of them. Nonetheless, it’s always great to see something done with a fresh perspective, and that’s exactly what this year’s S-E troupe does.
Aside from the “repeats,” two of the night’s episodes are true originals – not just new to the S-E stage, but written by S-E students themselves. Before last night’s rehearsal got underway, I had a brief chat with both of the Marauder authors.
Eleventh grader Lulu Riley is full of energy, even for a teenager. An experienced actor in her own right, she set out to use that skill set as a playwright. “Sometimes what you see on stage is super dramatic,” Riley said. “It’s not that way in real life.” In penning her play, “Hey Guys,” Riley was determined to keep it real. “I thought it was pretty natural to do a play about teenage girls at a slumber party,” Riley said, “and sleepover scenarios are all pretty much the same.” Riley’s thrilled with the actors she’s directing in her play. “It’s pretty cool to see it come to life,” she said.
