Twenty-Two Schools Set to Bring One-Acts to the International Thespian Festival
All over the country, International Thespian Society chapters recognize outstanding achievements in one-act plays by nominating one play to give an exhibition performance at the International Thespian Festival (ITF). This year, ITF has extended invitation to an astounding twenty-two one-act productions that will perform for thousands of Thespians and theatre educators.
Explore all twenty-two productions below.
ITF 2024 Chapter Select One-Act Showcase
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Music by William Finn, Book by Rachel Sheinkin, Conceived by Rebecca Feldman, Additional Material by Jay Reiss
Salina Central High School | Troupe 639 | Salina, KS
Directed by Barbara Hilt
An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! At least the losers get a juice box.
Alice
By Jerome McDonough
Heathwood Hall Episcopal School | Troupe 3859 | Columbia, SC
Directed by Jonathan Monk
Discover the magic of Jerome McDonough’s Alice, a creative adaptation that brings the enchanting worlds of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass to life on stage. A stand-out for its clever handling of Alice’s transformations in size, the seamless shifts in setting, the myriad of magical effects, it is both fun to perform and a delight to watch. Step directly into a world where fantasy and reality blur!
Alice in Wonderland
Adapted by Jason Pizzarello
Marianas High School | Troupes 5374, 6450, 88752, 88755 | Saipan, MP
Directed by Harold Easton
After Alice tumbles down a mysterious rabbit hole, she finds herself in a strange land where everyone is raving mad. With the help of a Cheshire Cat, an astute Caterpillar, and a righteous Humpty Dumpty, Alice must find her way home and discover who she really is. A darker, more faithful version of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale that reimagines the experience of Wonderland, and ends with an unexpected new twist.
Almost, Maine
By John Cariani
Springfield Township High School | Troupe 1154 | Erdenheim, PA
Directed by Marlene Thornton & Jelli Vezzosi
Welcome to Almost, Maine, a place that’s so far north, it’s almost not in the United States. It’s almost in Canada. And it’s not quite a town, because its residents never got around to getting organized. So it almost doesn’t exist. One cold, clear, winter night, as the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, the residents of Almost, Maine, find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend—almost—in this delightful midwinter night’s dream.
Antigone Now
By Melissa Cooper
Vestavia Hills High School | Troupe 1437 | Vestavia Hills, AL
Directed by Jamie Stephenson
In the midst of a bombed-out city still feeling the aftershocks of war, the rebellious and intense Antigone defies her uncle to bury her disgraced brother. This contemporary response to the myth of Antigone brings powerful, modern prose to an ancient and universal story.
Atypical Boy
By Laurie Brooks
Deane Bozeman School | Troupe 7706 | Panama City, FL
Directed by Erin Gorman Tavernier
In a fantastical world (not entirely unlike our own) where “conformity is compulsory,” Boy cannot conform. Others make a desperate attempt to fix him, but neither they nor he can change his nature. Labeled a monster by the experts, Boy is shunned until, heartbroken and alone, he disappears into a world of monsters. There, Boy struggles with Hugo, ruled by his monster side, and is drawn to Girl, who is still in touch with her true feelings. A metaphor for invisible disabilities and disenfranchised youth, this play asks the question: Will Boy hold on to his humanity and accept himself, or will he become a monster? A cautionary tale that presents a comic anti-model of behavior, this entertaining fable for all times and all ages tells about the beauty and danger of being different in a world where conformity is valued and individuality is feared.
Flies
By Oliver Lansley
Patuxent High School | Troupe 6194 | Lusby, MD
Directed by Allen Price
Some people are frightened of small spaces… Some people are frightened of sharks… Dennis is terrified of flies. In a kill-or-be-killed fight for his sanity, Dennis is determined to conquer his fear of flies, but as darkness falls, what is that ominous hum behind the door? It’s Metamorphosis meets The Birds in an edgy black comedy.
Gossip
By Brian Hampton
Liberty High School | Troupe 6730 | Henderson, NV
Directed by Trae Gill
Gossip packs a powerful punch as it brings gossip to life and gives its infectious spread a visible presence onstage. A group of high school theatre students befriends a charming yet sinister new student named Gossip. She immediately makes herself right at home as she secretly manipulates and twists the truth to get what she wants. But as her new friends begin to figure it all out, they turn on her as ruthlessly as she went after them, leading to a surprisingly twisted ending.
Gracie and the Galapanzas
By John Glass
Platte County School District #1 | Troupe 605 | Wheatland, WY
Directed by Kalyn Krotz
Gracie Galapanza is a young, accomplished, but depressed tightrope walker. She takes a man hostage in New York’s Twin Towers, and demands to speak with Phillip Palón, the world-famous tightrope walker. The authorities deliver Palón, who Gracie insists will watch her walk the two towers. Emotions and rage run rampant . . . and the gun-wielding Gracie remains the key concern of this short drama.
Grimm Brothers Fairy Tale Repair Shoppe
By Joseph Link
Jefferson High School | Troupe 561 | Cedar Rapids, IA
Directed by Joseph Link
When a villain steals their ink, Will and Jacob Grimm (and the audience) must find the thief, fix the stories, and help the beloved characters find a happy ending in this original children’s theatre twist on classic fairy tales.
The Inexplicable Chaos Factor of Mia Gregory
By Emily Hageman
Clay County High School | Troupe 8840 | Manchester, KY
Directed by Donnie Stevens
Liv is one of the most brilliant teenage mathematicians in the country, but she does not understand her best (and only) friend Mia. Like, at all. And now, she’s doing this stupid play to try to figure it out. An incredibly moving and empowering story about the chaos we create, and the order we can find in it.
Juliet and This Guy Romeo
By Don Zolidis
Gloucester County Institute of Technology | Troupe 5480 | Sewell, NJ
Directed by Zachary Bates
Two rival families are at war in Verona, Wisconsin. The adults argue about politics on Facebook all night long, while the teenagers aggressively hashtag each other all day. But when a pair of teens from the different families fall so crazy in love that they start speaking in iambic pentameter, it’s a tragedy waiting to happen. This zany comedy skewers the online animosity between liberals and conservatives with a little help from Shakespeare.
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
Book by Kevin Henkes, Stage Adaptation by Kevin Kling
Massey Hill Classical High School | Troupe 6519 | Fayetteville, NC
Directed by Molly Malone
Nellie
By Robby Steltz
Brenham High School | Troupe 1315 | Brenham, TX
Directed by Kara Freeman
and
Oak Harbor High School | Troupe 6307 | Oak Harbor, WA
Directed by Kincaid Cochran and Eclipse Garrett
Property Rites
By Alan Haehnel
Power Academic and Performing Arts Center | Troupe 4909 | Jackson, MS
Directed by Malaika Quarterman
Sorry, Wrong Number
By Lucille Fletcher
Alma High School | Troupe 6338 | Alma, AR
Directed by Danny Hobson
Soundscapes
By Claudia Haas & Sarah Kraning
Mount Carmel Academy | Troupe 2075 | New Orleans, LA
Directed by Elise Fairchild and Kameron Callahan
Unexpected Tenderness
By Israel Horovitz
Lafayette High School | Troupe 4159 | Williamsburg, VA
Directed by Suzan McCorry
The Velveteen Rabbit
Adapted by Elise Kauzlaric
Paradise Valley High School | Troupe 1146 | Phoenix, AZ
Directed by Carina Stiles
The Yellow Boat
By David Saar
Hedgesville High School | Troupe 1696 | Hedgesville, WV
Directed by Kelli Cooper
and
Munster High School | Troupe 2861 | Munster, IN
Directed by Raymond Palasz
