Arts & Entertainment
Falls Church High Students Take Center Stage
One act plays part of two-day stage performances.
Tears flowed freely at Falls Church High School’s Spratley Auditorium Thursday evening as playwright Ed Monk’s “Booby Trap” took center stage.
Sophomore Jimmy Miller played Peter Galen, a soldier waiting for an anti-personnel mine tucked behind the bark of the tree he is leaning against to detonate, in the one act play.
The student directed play was the second half of an evening of two one act plays by the school’s theater department. “Pillow Talk”, Peter Tolan’s one act on homophobia and transferred neuroses put the school on the map at Virginia High School League Theater Festival.
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From March 17 through March 18, the school’s drama department hosted the one act performances.
Senior Sam Johnston who played the homophobic Aaron won best actor in the district and received regional acting honors. His co-actor sophomore Brennan Jones, who directed “Booby Trap,” was Acting All-Star in the district and received regional honors as well.
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The school’s theater director Valerie Karasek said the students had had about a month to learn and perfect “Booby Trap”. She said the students put in a lot of effort, especially Jones, who directed the production.
“To work with your peers and to get that kind of respect you really have to show that passion and come in prepared and kind of know what you are doing,” she said. “He is just an absolute delight to watch. I am very proud of him.”
In “Booby Trap”, Galen relieves childhood memories in a series of flashbacks as other troops pull out and leave him to his fate. Miller said he tried to think of it as a real soldier would.
“I tried to get myself into their mind set and try to get the emotional feelings they would have,” Miller said. “I made sure I could connect with my character so I could portray him in the best manner possible.”
“Booby Trap” was a class project and Karasek, confessing she may not be the most objective critic, said she thought the evening went well.
“You have to consider this was put up at the last minute so this is almost like a dress rehearsal because they haven’t had an audience,” Karasek said. “I give them an A plus from a teacher’s perspective. I am very proud of them.”
Nancy Ryan, president of Drama Boosters, the theater group’s parent wing which helps with concessions and tickets said Brennan did an excellent job with the actors.
“I had already seen the first show when they competed but I had never seen the second,” Ryan said. “I noticed every single mother in the audience walked out crying so you know they did as good job. He got a lot out of the actors. He made all the moms cry.”