On the evenings of February 21st and 22nd, the Kent School community enjoyed two fantastic nights of the student-led one-acts. Each year, the one-acts are a fan-favorite among students and faculty alike, and this year was no different. The first night featured a crew of students led by Mr. Foote and the second night was led by Ms. Heather, with a great mix of funny, thoughtful, and dramatic pieces.

Mr. Foote reflected on the performances saying, “I was really happy; we had two nights of totally different shows both nights, and they complimented each other well.” He was also grateful for the support from the community, explaining, “I was excited by the crowd turnout, and their responses were really positive, which makes a lot of difference for the performance.”

When asked about the experience this year, the actors were quick to express their love for the one-acts. Cheryl Chen ’20 says, “The one-acts are something that I always like to do, and we were really happy with the show we were able to put on.” She remarked on the stressful tech week that preceded the shows, but says that “the teamwork made it a great experience to pull together the shows.”

Sarah Liu ’20 echoed her sentiments, remarking, “I love the one-acts because of how close-knit the community is. We really feel like a family and there’s so much support, and we always have a lot of laughs together. And of course, Mr. Foote is so fun. It’s definitely my favorite theater activity.”

Each year, the one-acts welcome new members to the theater activity, which Jason Li ’21 describes as “really refreshing, working with new faces.”

The one-acts are also unique because they offer students the chance to get involved in the selection of performances, directing, and even writing. Many shows were directed by students, including “Allergic” by Lucas Pfeifer ’20, “Fire Bringer” by Finnoula Collins ’23, and a stand-up performance by Hunter Guillet ’21.

Liu says this student involvement is what makes the one-acts so special. “It’s definitely the most fun season of theater for me because students can get involved in a lot of ways, as directors or as student program coordinator, and I think it really serves to strengthen our bond with each other.”