10-minute plays

Vincent's school has no formal theater program. But, in recent years, with help from English teachers, students have written and directed - as well as acted in - a series of short plays performed after school and on a couple of weekend nights. Vincent hasn't been in a play since 4th or 5th grade when he starred as Hanazo in "Dragons in the Wind" with Betton Hills Prep School, at the old Quincy, Florida movie theater. It's been like pulling teeth to get him involved in extracurricular activities - plus he needs to do homework and get his nap and rescue the dog. However, last spring he loved watching these 10-minute plays, and this year he's started writing inside and outside of class. So this year he wrote one play and entered that one, and, when that didn't make the cut, he eventually made it in as an actor in three plays: "Semantics," "30 Years, 100 Acres," and "Dumbledore Dilemma." The latter two plays partly spoof the characters around two beloved classic characters, Winnie the Pooh and Harry Potter. Vincent has bigger roles in some of these short, somewhat irreverent plays than in others, and he also appears in the "Lotsi" transitions between plays. Today I took a late lunch hour at work and watched two of the three plays from Day One of the plays. Tomorrow we may catch either the 3 p.m. or 7 p.m. show. They'll finish off with a 7 p.m. Saturday show and then a cast party, just like when Penny and I played in the pit orchestra for Leon musicals. Vincent was actually pretty good, enunciating and projecting better than I had feared. Many of his better friends at school are also in the plays, and two of his favorite teachers - Becky and Carrie - are involved. We'll try again to take pictures tomorrow (Friday). Feel free to stop by for any of the other three shows. Break a leg, Vincent!