Later this month, the Arroyo Grande High School Theatre Company opens its annual Evening of One Acts. Initiated by current theatre director and teacher Sean Blauvelt, this longstanding tradition began in 2016. The Evening of One Acts is unique from other shows in the theatre company’s season as audiences will watch four stories, directed by four student directors, on the Black Box stage.
The first show in the lineup is Anne of Green Gables, adapted by Jon Jory from the novel by L.M. Montgomery and directed by Aurian Oliphant (‘26). While this iteration of the classic children’s novel is only thirty minutes long, it maintains the same whimsy and wonder of the original.
After Anne of Green Gables, two-time one-act director Dahlia Ridenhour’s (‘24) interpretation of Eisegesis, by Nick Mecikalski, takes the stage. The story follows Mr. Arnold Halsworth after awakening in a prison cell with no walls to keep him inside but instead an otherworldly void.
“I just really like sci-fi,” Ridenhour said, “and after reading the script a couple of times, I began to realize that its message that our choices don’t just affect us, but the people around us, is very important to what’s happening in today’s world.”
Following a 15-minute intermission, next up is Twitch by Stephen Gregg and directed by Maverick Chaney (’26). Another sci-fi like the one-act before, Chaney’s selection tells the story of a married couple and their strange neighbors who just moved in next door.
Quinlin Gallagher’s (‘24) one-act The New Margo, also by Stephen Gregg concludes the evening. A thrilling drama, this one-act follows the life of four college roommates when their friend Margo comes back to their dorm as a completely different person.
The Evening of One Acts runs for two weekends with shows at 7 p.m. on Jan. 26, 27, and Feb. 2, 3. Tickets are available now in person at the Clark Center box office or online and are $15, with discounts for seniors ($12) and students ($10).
