With Spring setting in, Dublin High’s Drama department began showing the long-awaited 2024 One Acts on Friday, April 19 in the Performing Arts Center. With all of the acts written and directed by the student body, these six stories reflected Dublin High’s collective passion as the stories left friends and family laughing, crying, and eager for more.

The show’s first act, “It’s About Time,” features high schooler Ada’s attempts at navigating the stresses of teenagehood and grappling with critical decisions. The act grows increasingly dramatic when their future self pays them a visit, promising success in the future but demanding sacrifice. Following this visit, Ada soon realizes that they might have to distance themself from their best friend, Payton, in order to make things work out and fulfill their newly discovered prophecy.

The following act, “Love In the Fast Lane,” balances this seriousness with a more innocent tale of friendship and love. Autumn and Winter, best friends of ten years, explore their emotions and romantic feelings towards each other in this heartwarming story. Along the way, they realize that love is simply something that cannot be rushed. 

“Loco Motives” sets the stage in the Wild West, where a cast of bounty hunters find themselves on an old train with suspicion at every corner. One outlaw aboard amongst four men—who is who? Which bounty hunter will claim victory and catch the rogue bandit? 

In the following sci-fi piece, “The Olive Branch Initiative,” a global crisis is placed into the hands of average fifteen-year-old Noah when a government agent introduces her to D.O.V.E., an artificial intelligence that intends to destroy humanity. However, as Noah hears more, she realizes that she and D.O.V.E. may share some commonalities after all. Perhaps this story teaches us that daunting problems should be solved one step at a time rather than all at once.

“Mayfly” is a tale revolving around identity exploration. Teenage boys James and Levi meet up by the pool after going on a late night deer hunt. They grapple with the ideas of faith and masculinity in this meaningful short story.

“Wrong Side of the Bed” is a comical story of rivalry and unwanted circumstances. In the middle of the night, two of the city’s most notorious villains check into the same hotel and find themselves sharing a room. With only one bed, these enemies may have to set their differences aside and find a way to tolerate each other. 

“Each and every one of the One Acts performances was so well-crafted and moving. You could connect with the writer and actors in a meaningful way through their work, and allow yourself to laugh and cry with their spirited characters,” audience member Madelyn Kris shared after the Friday evening showing.