Entirely student-written and directed, One Acts is unlike any other production at RM. The winter show allows students to take the reins and create their own story. 

“The difference between One Acts and an adult-run Black Maskers production is the amount of student leadership. Everything down to the lighting, the sounds, the costumes, the blocking and acting is student-decided,” sophomore Cory Breychak said. 

One Acts consists of four short student-created plays. Students get to see their ideas come to life on stage without restrictions. This year, the plays included “(star)Shipwrecked,” “Say What?” “OOPS!” and “SPLAT!” 

“(star)Shipwrecked” is about five crew members that crash their rocket ship in space on exoplanet HR-8799. The five members, Bennie, Darcy, Jackie, Tom and Andi, were best friends before training but grew apart. 

The play was a fan favorite, with ’60s space-age-themed suits, colorful decorations, cheesy jokes and a smoke machine. At the play’s core, it is a heartfelt story about rebuilding friendship. 

“Say What?” followed and was an act about a top-rated game show. Four contestants, Danni, Clancy, Sam and Robin, competed for a mystery vacation and $100,000. Everything is going well until the lights go out, and one of the contestants dies. “Say What?” features a game show like any other, filled with shocking plot twists and suspense. 

“OOPS!” was up third, and the name was short for Rocktown Middle School’s Production of “Our Own Princess Story.” The play is a comedy about a middle school production of a fairytale. The story follows a princess pushing against the rules to find true love despite the efforts of her stubborn parents and her suitor, the snobby Barnaby Barrington III. 

“OOPS!’ is such a wonderful, crazy show, and it’s been a blast working with everyone in the cast and the directors to make it as good of a show as possible,” Breychak said. 

Breychak played Barnaby Barrington III, and like the other actors in the production, he purposely messed up lines and missed cues. However, the actors always caught every note during songs. The running crew was loud during blackouts, dropped furniture and took longer than usual during transitions. With all the non-accidental accidents, the audience laughed through the entire “OOPS!” production. 

Last up, “SPLAT!” was a profound story with wacky and eccentric elements, featuring the first ever cybernetically enhanced super-intelligent monkey, Sam. He tests his wits on America’s favorite CableTV Game show, “SPLAT!” while struggling to find his purpose in life. 

“For me, writing stories has always been something I did to kill time. ‘SPLAT!’ came from a loose concept my friend and I came up with a few years ago and only really became an actual One Acts story this year. Combined with random bits and pieces of Planet of the Apes and a dream I once had about monkeys, ‘SPLAT!’ was born,” senior Matt Lo said. 

While One Acts is a fundraiser for Black maskers, the performance also serves as a way for students to indulge in creative liberties. Many members try new things, such as becoming actors, directors and writers, to challenge their artistic abilities.

“Before I was a director, I worked on the sound crew for two years, then spent a show as an actor in the recent musical, ‘Hello Dolly.’ I love trying these new opportunities and the challenge of getting the hang of all these new things,” Lo said. 

One Acts has no specific budget or money allotted, meaning members must be resourceful and make furniture, props and clothing that best fits their vision. A highlight of One Acts this year was retired staff member Eric Rodney, the former technical director for the Black Maskers. Mr. Rodney acted in two of the four acts, portraying an alien and a bartender. Typically working behind the scenes, Mr. Rodney’s acting allowed him to contribute to yet another RM theater production one last time in a unique way. 

Overall, the student-led winter production was a success, with Black Maskers members bonding by working together, trying out new roles, seeing their ideas come to life and saying goodbye to the beloved Mr. Rodney. 

“My favorite thing about One Acts is probably getting to see all the other shows not only live on stage but see the behind the scenes. Just watching everything and everyone coming together to create something like this is just truly incredible,” Lo said.