When junior Ben McKone saw the cast list for the upcoming Winter One-Acts, he was surprised to see his name in a “director” role.

For the first time in Park theater history, students will write and direct their own adaptation as part of an effort by adviser Jodi Hatzenbeller to include more student input.

“It creates great opportunities for students,” Hatzenbeller said. “We have a lot of talented actors who also have a knack for directing and blocking.”

The show consists of three separate performances of adapted short stories, one of which students adapted themselves.

“We’ve never been the ones doing the adaptation before, so I’m excited to see how it turns out,” McKone said.

The theater department contacted “All Summer in a Day” writer Ray Bradbury’s estate directly and received expressed permission from his lawyers, an exception considered rare in the theater department, according to Hatzenbeller.

The cast held meetings to adapt Bradbury’s original script into presentable theater format, demonstrating the collaborative effort between students.

“It’s a growing script that we continue to adapt every rehearsal,” Hatzenbeller said.

The Winter One Acts also consist of adaptations of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and “The Yellow Wallpaper,” written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and directed by McKone. He said he thinks each play has its own character, but “The Yellow Wallpaper” proves especially challenging in conveying subtle nuances and messages in emotion.

“Since ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ is a more existential play with a lot of dialogue, my challenge is to convey the subtext to the audience and keep their attention where it needs to be, especially when there’s a lot going on onstage,” McKone said.

While the One Acts represent a smaller production than the fall musical, the cast hopes the non-traditional approach will bring more attention.

McKone said beyond the array of stories, collaboration between student directors and Hatzenbeller proved beneficial in the various stages of  production.

“Whatever decision we make for the direction, we collaborate on it” McKone said. “We’re working together to figure out how everything will work.”

Hatzenbeller said she agrees with McKone, commenting on the importance of dialogue between her and the student directors.

“We literally sit side-by-side in matching chairs and bounce ideas off each other and really collaborate on almost every decision,” Hatzenbeller said.

After hitting a record in attendance for the fall musical’s opening night, the One Acts open Jan. 17 at 7 p.m., with a performance on the following Saturday at 7 p.m. and the finale on Sunday at 2 p.m.