Junior Short Plays 10.31-11.2

JUNIORSHORTPLAYS FALL2025

HeSaidandSheSaid

by Alice Gerstenberg

DIRECTED

GRACE KLIMCZYK

The Open Door

by Alfred Sutro

by Tony Friers DIRECTED

ALEXANDRA ANGLIM

HeSaid HeSaid andShe Said andShe Said

Director’s Note: Grace Klimczyk

He Said and She Said is a comedy that is meant to make you think. These characters worry so much about how others perceive themselves that they forget who they truly are. During Mrs. Packard’s time at the dinner party, she demonstrates that truth is subjective and can lead to an unfortunate deadlock. Sometimes you may not have evidence to prove your innocence or someone’s guilt. Diana Chesbrough has no proof against Mrs. Packard’s claims, but, nonetheless, denies them. What this show demonstrates is that your credibility and integrity may be the only thing that saves you. Enid knows both Diana and Mrs.Packard,butwhocanshebelieve:herbestfriendoragossip?

With only a month of rehearsals, this cast has truly embodied their characters. Once we fully embraced the comedy of this show, the story finally came together. Through their melodrama, the ridiculousness of rumors and gossip is shown. Lies can bring out the worst in people, and they show the importance of trustandfriendshipwhenliesgetintheway.

As you view the performance, I challenge you to think about how you would handle this situation. Can your own character save you from the gossip from others?Thinkabouthowothersperceiveyouandiftheycantrustyoutotellthe truth. What does he or she say about you, and does it really matter? Thank you for joining us and supporting your Junior Short Play directors. Please enjoy He SaidandSheSaid.

PRODUCTIONTEAM

DIRECTORS NOTE: NICOLETTE MANRIQUE

I was in France when I first read The Open Door. I sat on the balcony of my room with my phone in hand. My interest was piqued with the world of Lady Torminster and Sir Geoffrey. They would sit on a balcony similar to mine. The summer air blew into the room, wafting the smell of pastries from the bakery next door, similar to the sea breeze from Lady Torminster's French doors. It was a sign.

Before reading The Open Door, I had not heard of Alfred Sutro. Alfred Sutro was an English playwright and translator. He studied at the City of London School. At first, Sutro did not pursue playwriting. He entered a business partnership with his eldest brother. It was his wife that urged him to leave the business and pursue a living in the arts. Throughout Alfred's career he wrote many plays, including: Mollentrave on Women, The Perfect Lover, A Marriage Has Been Arranged, The Perplexed Husband, and most importantly, The Open Door. A vast majority of his plays follow the relationship between a man and a woman.

The Open Door begins in a drawing room of a cottage by the sea. The French doors are open wide with a delightful nightly breeze blowing in. Sir Geoffrey and Lady Torminster meet and banter about their love for one another. As the story unfolds, the distance between the two lovers becomes unbearable, but the standards set by society restrain their abounding passion. When directing The Open Door, I found that distance allowed for the tension between Lady Torminster and Sir Geoffrey to intensify without physical affection. I researched the societal do’s and don’t’s of the time to accurately display their mannerisms on stage. Lady Torminster and Sir Geoffrey find themselves alone in a room, a scandalous rendezvous in the 1910’s, and talk throughout the late hours. The hour of their meeting allows for them to speak more freely. When collaborating with the actors on tablework, we decided how to create a median between submitting to societal etiquette and allowing the characters to “speak out what's in us” (Lady Torminster). And speak out they do!

CAST

LADYTORMINSTER

Maggie Steakley

SIRGEOFFREY

PRODUCTIONTEAM

DIRECTOR……………………

ARE YOU WATCHING ME?

BY: TONY FRIER

Belmont little theater

DIRECTED BY: ALLY ANGLIM OCT 31- NOV 2

7:30, 7:30, 2:00

DIRECTOR’S NOTE - ALEXANDRA ANGLIM

ARE YOU WATCHING ME? IS A THRILLING STORY THAT WILL HAVE THE AUDIENCE CONSTANTLY GUESSING. IT BEGINS WITH ALI, WHO IS ONLY A FEW DAYS AWAY FROM GIVING BIRTH. SHE AND HER HUSBAND, JON, ARE TEMPORARILY STAYING IN A DINGY FLAT WHILE THEY WAIT FOR HER MOTHER’S HOUSE TO SELL. JON IS WORKING HARD TO GET THEM OUT OF THEIR CURRENT SITUATION, BUT SOMETHING UNSETTLING IS HAPPENING— THEY’VE NOTICED A STRANGE MAN WATCHING THEM FROM A BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET. WHEN ALI RECEIVES A DISTURBING TEXT, JON IS FORCED TO TAKE ACTION.

THIS SUSPENSEFUL STAGE PLAY EXPLORES THE EXTREME LENGTHS PEOPLE WILL GO TO IN PURSUIT OF ECONOMIC STABILITY. MY CONCEPT IS DECEPTION: NOTHING IN THIS SHOW IS STRAIGHTFORWARD. THE ACTORS HAVE DEDICATED THEMSELVES OVER THE PAST THREE WEEKS TO PUTTING THIS SHOW ON ITS FEET; WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO CREATE COMPLEX CHARACTERS, SOME WHICH SEEM DECEPTIVELY INNOCENT OR INEFFECTUAL. THE DESIGNERS HAVE WORKED TO REINFORCE THE IDEA OF DECEPTION USING LIGHTING AND SHADOWS. ALL LIGHT CHOICES AND COLORS HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY SELECTED TO PLAY WITH THE AUDIENCE'S PERCEPTION OF THE STAGE. SHADOWS ARE USED TO HELP CREATE DEPTH ON STAGE AND OFFER THE AUDIENCE MULTIPLE, ENGAGING FOCAL POINTS. SEEMINGLY INSIGNIFICANT OBJECTS OR MOVEMENTS MAY CARRY GREATER MEANING. MUSIC IS USED TO CREATE THE ATMOSPHERE. ARE YOU WATCHING ME? WAS DESIGNED TO SURPRISE THE AUDIENCE, CHALLENGING THEIR ASSUMPTIONS AND FORCING THEM TO RECONSIDER HOW THEY PERCEIVE THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM. IT IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL JOURNEY THAT QUESTIONS APPEARANCES AND REVEALS THE TRUTHS HIDDEN BENEATH THE SURFACE.

PRODUCTION TEAM