In past years, Theater Program director Jodi Schifsky said showcasing theater productions alongside other schools in the One Act Play competition was a great chance to connect with people outside the school. Schifsky said she’s excited to have another community-building opportunity with this year’s competition.

“(The One Act) is great because it brings us together as a team … so it’s good within our community. But also we get to interact with other schools — not just watching them, but socializing,” Schifsky said. “It’s a good way to build the broader community.”

On Jan. 27, the Park theater program will showcase “These Shining Lives” for sub-sections, the first round of competition. Park will compete against three other schools. The top two schools, as scored by a panel of judges, will move on to the next round, according to Schifsky.

Senior Shira Hanovich said the One-Act competition comes with a unique set of challenges as a lighting technician. 

“You have to light everything on the spot. I only have two hands … I’m trying to control all these sliders. And I have to be paying very close attention to the timing,” Hanovich said. “I can’t be lazy, so it’s a lot on my brain. But it’s fun — it’s a challenge.”

Senior Dayanara Mora Zengel, who played the lead role in the last school play, “Anne of Green Gables”, said she is excited to have an opportunity to take a step back during the One-Act. According to Mora Zengel, she’s looking forward to watching the competition while working on costumes. 

“I’m most excited to see other schools’ pieces. I think that’s a really cool experience. I’m also excited to see how we do because I’m actually not acting in this one, but I get to see it. So it’s different for me,” Mora Zengel said. 

According to Schifsky, the One Act is a chance for Park students to admire the work of other schools. 

“I love seeing other schools and what they do. Our students have a chance to see that broad spectrum of types of shows and types of technical elements they bring in,” Schifsky said. “It’s good inspiration for us, but it’s also a chance to show off ourselves.“

Being around people from a larger theater community allows students to connect with other peers who have similar interests, according to Mora Zengel.

“It builds community to be able to be around people from different schools and see how they work as a team,” Mora Zengel said. “We have a break period where we have lunch, and it’s nice to be able to talk to people from other schools and get to know their pieces and what they do.”

Hanovich said Park has had strong showings at past One-Act competitions, and she is confident this year’s play will have a powerful influence on the audience. 

“Our best show that I’ve been in so far, other than this one, was my freshman year, when we did the Amish Project,” Hanovich said. “We did wonderfully that year, and this is another show which is really tragic, but our cast handles it so well. I do think we’re going to do really well. This is a really, really good show.”