Starting off the year with both comedy and drama, the Lincoln-Way West Theatre department performed the annual Black Box from February 3 to February 5. The skits were performed by students and directed by seniors who have been a part of Black Box since freshman year. Ranging from sitcoms to emotional tragedy, the students and directors created successful performances.

In the beginning of January, students went through auditions and were assigned their roles. A challenge in the beginning is acting out your character. With dialogue and placement to memorize, getting into character can prove to be complex as the actor must perform an invisible naturalism to come off as believable and connect stage character with the audience. During the time of rehearsal, senior directors  worked on warm-ups and encouraged having fun to improve acting skills.  As a result, the actors were inspired and found many creative ways to act out their roles. Senior Evelyn Orellana shares, “The technique I use to create a believable character would be taking the time to read the lines more carefully and even look at the background of the play. Connecting with the character is a huge part of making it believable.”

Laughs, gasps, and tears were shed on nights of the performances. Starting off with “Life of a Girl,” directed by senior Camryn Baker, the audience was laughing at the relatable character “The Girl,” acted  by Kay Buda, as she goes through adolescence and eventually raises children of her own. Parents in the crowd found it amusing and engaging as they were able to relate. In another play, “Exit,” directed by senior Alex Nelson, the crowd was left speechless from the ending. The play starts off with five characters stuck on the stage, unable to find an exit. The build of tension and confusion led the crowd into an unexpecting conclusion. Addy Cuthbertson, lead role, shares, “My favorite scene I’ve ever performed is right when everyone jumps off the stage, and I’m alone on stage. I just love those moments that it’s just my character, the stage, and the audience all dying to know what happens in the end!” Each show had their own charm and left the crowd excited for more.

The senior directors couldn’t have been prouder of their cast and the performance. Performing their freshman year to directing in their senior year, it felt unbelievable to them. Senior director Jason Parks fondly shares, “Directing was such a memorable time for me. I loved the opportunity to direct a show and drop every bit of wisdom about acting and life in general as a senior.” The memories made with new friends and knowledge passed down onto newcomers, Black Box inspired the student actors and accomplished successful nights of laughter and entertainment.

You can view a full list of the one-act plays performed this year, as well as their casts, here: Black Box Program