Everyone knows the feeling of speaking in front of a class full of people. Everyone has done it at some point in their lives at school. Imagine that time, but on a stage, wearing a costume, speaking in a different voice, acting as a whole different person. The time is limited to 40 minutes. One second longer and you are disqualified. That’s what the One Act Play (OAP) is all about, and it starts tomorrow with the Lovejoy theatre production of The Kentucky Cycle play “Fire in the Hole.”

The theatre program has been involved in OAP since 2007, when the first graduating class performed “I Never Saw Another Butterfly”. Since then, they have performed shows that left audiences wanting to see more from the theatre students.

Like any other program in the school, OAP takes time and preparation. To be involved in OAP, Theatre Director Jessica Brewster requires that students live, eat, sleep, and breathe OAP.

“One Act is probably the most challenging theatre I’ve ever done. But it’s also the most fun,” senior Michael King said. “You can’t do it thinking it won’t be difficult, whether you’re one of the actors, stage/set crew, or stage manager.”

The hard work is on display in the performances. In the 2010 production of “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” actors were thrown around the stage by the brutal Edward Hyde (portrayed by Jacob Saffle) with one being thrown through a breakaway table every day for three months.

“I remember seeing Jekyll and Hyde. One of the images I remember from it was when Hyde picked up one of the characters and slammed him through a table right in front of the audience,” sophomore Bo Graham said. “They used it as a shock factor to get the audience’s attention, and it worked.”

The theatre starts the OAP process by picking a script. They gather up as many interesting and engaging scripts they can find, and read for weeks. After they pick the one they feel will be their best option, they audition.

“The process for auditioning always becomes so competitive. But not in a bad way. If you and a friend are going up for the same role, it kind of becomes a little game between the two of you,” senior Sean Gordon said.

When the auditions are over and the parts assigned, the actors and tech crew get copies of the script and cut it. This means they go through the entire script, editing for content and time. After all, OAP has a performance time limit of 40 minutes on stage.

When everything has been rehearsed thoroughly, competition begins, starting with districts. From there it is on to area, regionals, and finally state.

“It’s the show that every student is looking forward to every year. After the musical, we become so obsessed with OAP,” senior Drew Shafranek said. “I can’t wait to let the audience see what we have for them this year.”