After the success of the fall play, the Burke Drama Department has moved on to its new production: three one-act plays, two of which are directed by students. A one-act is a play that’s not split up into two (or more) acts, so there’s no intermission. They’re usually shorter than the standard two-act play, which is why the Burke Theater Department is presenting multiple on the same night.
The first of these plays is “The 146 Point Flame,” directed by Mrs. Mokrycki. It’s about the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire that killed 146 people, most of whom were immigrants. The tragedy prompted many improvements in workers’ rights and workplace safety that still affect the world today. Mrs. Mokrycki says, “I think it’s important for us to remember the women and others that were lost in this tragedy, to honor their sacrifice so others could have better working conditions.” At the end of the play, an elevator operator speaks about his regrets. He says, “So why is it that only through tragedy do we come so close together? Why couldn’t I have reached out to those around me? Why did I stay in my box? Why did I hide in fear?” Mokrycki describes what she hopes people get out of this. “I hope through their story we can remember to look outside our own little ‘box’ and reach out to those around us.” “The 146 Point Flame” is an intense production filled with lots of emotion. What Mokrycki is most excited about is “The movement and sound elements and to showcase this piece at the OPS One-Act Festival and our State Thespian Festival.”
The other two shows are entirely directed by students. “The Lottery,” directed by Stella Clark Kaczmarek, and “Please Have a Seat and Someone Will Be With You Shortly,” directed by Eli Zagurski. Stella says, “I chose ‘The Lottery’ because I had read the story before.” It tells the story of a town getting ready for its “Lottery,” which is a bit different from our type of lotteries. Stella adds, “I really enjoy the story and its dystopian feel.” This is Stella’s second time independently directing a play. Last year she directed “The 15-Minute Hamlet” as a junior. Her favorite part of directing is “Being able to see it come altogether. It’s like a puzzle piece, and seeing it as one complete show is very satisfying.” Mrs. Mokrycki says she decided to have multiple student-directed shows this year because she wants her students to “explore another aspect of theater and determine if it is something they want to do more of in the future.”
The performances for these shows begin tonight at 7:00 p.m. with two more performances tomorrow (Dec. 9) at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday (Dec. 10) at 2:00 p.m.
