Seabury Hall presents “Side Shows 2023” on May 18-19

Seabury Hall’s Performing Arts  program will end its season with its 27th Annual Side Shows: A Festival of One-Act Plays at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 18 and Friday, May 19 at the ʻAʻaliʻikūhonua Creative Arts Center.

This year’s festival will include a wild array of six, 10-minute plays. Five of the plays are student-written: In Saying Goodbye by first year student Ren Cooper, a girl comes to terms with the loss of a friend. In We’re Not Fish, by senior Kristian Lloyd Roque, two friends reconnect on a busy New York street. Sophomore Elizabeth Hampe’s play explores what AI might want from its human employees in That’s All, and alumna Lacey Flammer’s piece has the Girls’ Basketball team go on an adventure in Molokaʻi Hot Bread. Another alumna, Sydney Roberts’, crazy Nomad, will round out the festival lineup.

The evening will end with a short musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) called 21 Chump Street, which is about peer pressure in a high school setting. 

Festival director Todd Van Amburgh is joined by a host of volunteer directors including Performing Arts faculty Marsha Kelly and David Ward, local theater producer Vinnie Linares, Seabury Hall parent Tash Summit, and current junior Max McManus. Costuming for all six plays will be done by students in André Morissette’s Costume Design classes.

“The one-act festival has proven to be an ideal experience for students and audiences,” said Van Amburgh. “The show is fast and fun – a rollercoaster ride for the audience. Students get lead parts and — because the plays are all about 10 minutes – don’t have the taxing rehearsal schedule they get for longer shows. As teachers, we get to include more students (over two dozen in the whole festival). Veterans end their high-school careers with this show while others are discovered here. Students get to work with other directors and directors get to experiment. The One-Act festival is great education and great fun.” 

Tickets are available at: SeaburyHall.org/arts

Prices:

• All Tickets: $5

Showtimes: 

• Thursday, May 18  at 7 p.m.
• Friday, May 19 at 7 p.m.