Four years on the stage. Four years memorizing the essentials of the theatre. Four years learning how to bring a show to life.

The senior one-act plays are directed by members of the Starlight Theatre Company (STC). Among some of the shows are ‘Fugue’ by Hunter Francisco, ‘Shadow Box’ by Chloe Byars, ‘Find Me’ by Bronwyn Neale, ‘Spring Awakening’ by Jackson Walker, ‘Drowning Girls’ by Jake Anderson, ‘Thieves’ by Marley Neth, and several others. These shows are the seniors’ final productions of the school year before they graduate.

“No matter how the performance goes, I just want to know that they have had an enjoyable time working on this show,” president of the STC senior Emma Haschke said. “The ultimate goal of this process is to create a fun environment with a tight knit group of people where they can learn and grow in new ways.”

Each senior director is in charge of every aspect of their show and they have been working on them for years.

“These directors have technically been preparing for these plays since they were freshman, watching other actors, experiencing acting ensembles, listening to sound cues, watching how the lights change, etc,” theatre director and teacher Betsy Cornwell said. “Everything they have learned in rehearsal, construction, and performance of a show translates to the choices they make on their own productions.”

The actors, like sophomore Ben Harmon who is working on Shane Scan durra’s show ‘The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940’, recognize the amount of work the seniors have put into their last shows at Bowie as well as the actors’ last show of the school year.

“It’s an interesting feeling because it is sad that it’s the last show of my sophomore year,” Harmon said. “But looking back on all the shows the STC has put on this year is a great feeling because of all the hard work everyone put in to make those shows come together so well.”

The one-acts are unlike all the other shows since the seniors are not acting, but orchestrating the show without the theatre directors.

“The seniors involved have been working since January in preparation for the May performances by choosing a title, cutting the length, doing research on the time period, making decisions about costumes, etc. It is a very big project for them,” Cornwell said. “This is not the same as performing  in a play or working backstage on a crew. This is different from anything else they’ve ever done in theatre, so you can’t compare it to their other performances.”

Haschke who is directing the show ‘Pretty Theft’ is content with this show being her last with how much has been contributed this year.

“I’m very happy with how I’m leaving the company. It’s been a very positive year and I think all the officers and upperclassmen have done an amazing job of creating a welcoming environment for new members,” Haschke said. “I’m just glad I was able to play a small part in making someone’s high school experience more enjoyable.”

Not all of the directors are continuing theatre arts after Bowie and the one-acts are their last time being involved with theatre, but according to Cornwell it does not mean their experience in the STC will not carry with them.

“Only a few of the directors are actually pursuing careers in theatre, but those who aren’t are getting the opportunity to make conceptual decisions, to manage a company of actors and technicians, to organize rehearsals and workdays, and to communicate their ideas through direction,” Cornwell said. “You can’t trade that experience.”

The senior one-acts are an experience for students who have dedicated themselves to theatre for many years to take on a production as their last project at Bowie high school and show off all they’ve learned as their big goodbye.

“Theatre is a home for so many students that leaving it would be hard for a lot of people so I’m sure it’ll be hard for the seniors,” Harmon said. “But it is bittersweet because they’ll remember everything that theatre has taught them.”