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Fairfield students take their turn directing Saturday

Plays show how creative the students are, teacher says.

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By Eric Robinette, Staff Writer 6:22 PM Wednesday, February 1, 2012

FAIRFIELD — “The Great Gatsby” author F. Scott Fitzgerald once said there are no second acts in American lives. This weekend, Fairfield High School students will prove him right.

On Saturday, the school presents its annual showcase of student-directed one-act plays to be presented at the performing arts center. The lineup runs as follows:

• 1 p.m. — “Imperfect Proposal,” directed by Lauren Kolas.

• 2:30 p.m. — “Perfect,” directed by Shelby Cavender.

• 4 p.m. — “It’s Not You, It’s Me,” directed by Allison O’Brien.

• 5:30 p.m. — “Let’s Go Already,” directed by Hannah Bundy.

• 7 p.m. — Jackie Mapes, “Nora’s Lost” directed by Alan Haehnel.

Students have been getting the plays into shape during the past several months. One of them shows a series of breakups between couples, and the play has a title often heard in such breakups: “It’s Not You, It’s Me.”

O’Brien, a first-time director, kept the rehearsals on track, encouraging the cast to dial down certain reactions or to use more body language. When two actors finally got a scene just right, “O’Brien said “Why don’t you guys do it like that all the time? That was perfect!”

After the rehearsal O’Brien explained, “It’s helpful to stop and go so that it’s fresh in everyone’s mind. I like to do natural blocking so that they develop characters beyond the 30 minutes everyone else sees them.”

Jay Muldoon, a teacher who oversees the one-act plays, said what makes the program stand out is “the fantastic directors we have. They’re very creative, and they learn to teach the cast how to respond better.”

Tickets are $8, with one ticket good for all five shows. Tickets can be purchased at the door. The school is at 8800 Holden Blvd.

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