Seabury Hall wraps up season with student-written one-act plays

Seabury Hall Performing Arts will close out its season this month with the 30th annual Side Shows festival, featuring a collection of original one-act plays written and performed by students at the Makawao school.

Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. May 22-23 in the ʻAʻaliʻikūhonua Creative Arts Center on the Seabury Hall campus. Tickets are $5.

The festival showcases plays written entirely by members of the senior class, including Misaki Chun, Ren Cooper, Asher Halik, Noah McCann, Mimi Ohad and Kai Pellettieri, with each piece running roughly six to 10 minutes.

Director Todd Van Amburgh said the format gives students room to shine in ways that longer productions sometimes don’t allow.

“The show is fast and fun, a rollercoaster ride for the audience,” he said. “Students get opportunities to take on leading roles and, because the plays are short, the rehearsal process is more flexible than in full-length productions.”

The festival also highlights student work from Andre Morissette’s Costume Design classes, with those students collaborating with directors and actors on the visual identity of each piece.

Now in its third decade, Side Shows has become a capstone event for seniors while also serving as a launching pad for younger students. “Veterans end their high school careers with this show while others are discovered here,” Van Amburgh said.

Tickets can be purchased at seaburyhall.org/.