The One Act Play Competition

By: Tiffany Hoang, Foster HS Troupe 7961

What is One Act Play?
Hello Texas Thespians! If you’re new to high school theatre, you’re probably wondering what all the hype about the One Act Play season is about. High school theatre troupes all over the state of Texas participate in OAP of Texas’ University Interscholastic League (UIL) in their designated division through levels of competition. Each theatre troupe must pick a published and approved play, and cut it down to 18-40 minutes to be performed. And of course, there are VERY specific rules and guidelines that each theatre troupe MUST follow. But why participate in this event you may ask? Here’s five reasons why I think you should participate in your high school’s One Act Play:

1.) You WILL Be Competing
Normally, high school theatre students are accustomed to performing shows that are meant for entertaining family members and friends. However, OAP is in a completely different ballpark. You and your cast/crew members are performing your show in order to compete with other schools in your division. You will have the opportunity to advance from District, Bi-District, Area, Region, and hopefully making it to State. I personally think the competition aspect of UIL OAP is extremely invigorating and keeps you on your feet, pushing you to do better with each rehearsal and each performance.

2.) You WILL Grow As An Actor or Techie
The One Act competition will give you the opportunity to cultivate and improve your craft. Both actors and techies will receive critiques from judges at the end of every competition, which will be taken into serious consideration for their next rehearsal or performance. Actors and techies get to fine tune their skills and abilities through the eyes of different people with theatre experiences.

3.) You WILL Have The Opportunity To Win Awards
This isn’t THE most important thing about One Act, but it is definitely worth mentioning. Hard working actors and techies will be recognized for their outstanding performance at each competing event. Some of the awards include Best Actor, Best Actress, Outstanding Technician, All-Star Cast, and Honorable Mention All-Star Cast.  Again, not the most important thing to be focused on, but it is definitely a plus!

4.) You WILL Learn Order and Chaos
The entire One Act process will be extremely stressful. However, your director and cast members will be the group of people that will help you through it all. Your rock, if you will. Sometimes you’ll want to rip their heads off and other times you’ll want to laugh at each other until you all start sounding like a uniform, wheezing mantra. In the end, the competition will bring all of you together in order to work and get things done. You’ll learn the importance of focusing, listening, teamwork, organizational skills, and self-awareness during this very crucial time.

5.) You WILL Have Fun!
In the end, if you and your troupe does not advance very far, hopefully you would have still had fun and treasure unforgettable memories of the entire process! Remember that theatre is a form of expression, and if you feel like it’s beginning to seem more like a chore, then One Act probably isn’t for you.

I believe in you. Go out there and Break-A-Leg Texas Thespians!

With much love,
​Tiffany Hoang

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