US Winter Play Preview

US+Winter+Play+Preview

Max Outcalt, Staff Writer

For many, the word “unprecedented” carries with it nearly two years’ worth of baggage. The COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented. The Delta and Omicron variants were unprecedented. “Unprecedented” is a word that has been used and overused and run well into the ground.

So, I won’t refer to the existence of a winter play as “unprecedented” for the University School student body. But I will say that it is a unique surprise for anyone who has been paying attention to the US theatrical community in recent years, one that will hopefully provide a reprieve from the unprecedented outside world.

Harkening back to the play “Snapshots” from the fall of 2018, this winter show, entitled One Day in New York is composed of three one-acts, ranging from 20 minutes to 45 minutes long. The first, a deeply funny play titled Mere Mortals and written by David Ives, stars Jack Armstrong (Junior), Victor DeAnda (Junior), and Manzili Dennis (Sophomore) as three construction workers who share progressively more shocking secrets during an otherwise mundane lunch break. The second, A Way With Words by Frank Gilroy, stars Grace Hoy (Senior), Alex Kondratov (Senior), and Max Outcalt (Senior) in a comedy about friendship, betrayal, lost love, and timeworn secrets. The final play, Hidden in this Picture, stars Owen Bauer (Senior), Aiden Burkholder (Senior), Clay Fallon (Junior), and Kaden Jones (Junior) as the crew of a movie set plagued with monetary struggles, interpersonal conflicts, unforeseen filming obstacles, and everything in between.

This trio of comedies promises to both amuse and divert the audience, immersing them into three uniquely humorous worlds that feel distinctly different yet connected with invisible threads. This is the first winter show that US has put on in any student’s tenure in the Upper School. Performances will be held this coming Thursday and Friday, on January 27 and 28, at 7:00 PM, and tickets are on sale at reception desk or at the door for $5. So come, take a break from the world, and delve into the winter show. You certainly won’t be disappointed.