Hillsboro High School students will perform six one-act plays on Friday.
The short plays are primarily comedies and murder mysteries and were written by Hillsboro High Drama Club students, who will also direct and star in the plays.
Showtime is 7 p.m. at the Hillsboro High School Theatre, 123 Leon Hall Parkway.
Admission is free; however, donations will be accepted at the door.
The donations will benefit the Drama Club, which would use the funds to attend the Missouri State Thespian Conference.
Stephanie Williams, a Hillsboro High English teacher who is overseeing the production, said some students began writing their shows as early as last spring.
Backstage pass
Junior Marshall Bedell and sophomore Jadon Read co-wrote and co-directed “Cents for Sense.”
Bedell said the play’s premise is inspired by the 1989 comedy “See No Evil, Hear No Evil” starring Gene Wilder as a man who is deaf and Richard Pryor as a man who is blind who come together to catch a group of criminals.
The cast for “Cents for Sense” includes Ryan Russell, Brendan Smith-Hynes, Charlie Heine, M. Steel, Cyrus Johnson and Hayden Hasty.
Ensemble members include Jadon Read, Alex Hott, Cameron Reynolds, Millie McLean and Eleonore Hopping.
Senior Hayden Hasty wrote and directed “What a Murderful Life,” a horror comedy about a brother and sister finding out their mother’s murder case has been reopened because the police believe one of their friends is a suspect.
Hasty said the experience has been a lot of fun, adding that his favorite part of the process was casting the show.
“I get to see my characters come to life,” he said.
Hasty said he wants to pursue a career as a screenplay writer, director or actor.
The cast for “What a Murderful Life” includes Cameron Reynolds, Jadon Read, Marshall Bedell, Alex Hott, Ashley Wemhoff, Bradley Roettger, Brendan Smith-Hynes, Millie McLean, Hunter Sonntag, M. Steel, Charlie Heine, Tristen McCormick, Luke Heine, Bre Danback, Dylan Heitert, Cyrus Johnson and Hayden Hasty.
“A Slice of Chaos” is written and directed by junior Bre Danback.
The cast includes Cyrus Johnson, M. Steel, Luke Heine, Millie McLean, Eleonore Hopping, Hunter Sonntag, Bradley Roettger and Ryan Russell.
“Pencils Down” is written and directed by junior Ryan Russell.
The cast includes Charlie Heine, Millie McLean, Dylan Heitert, Tristen McCormick, Bradley Roettger, Luke Heine and Bre Danback.
“Stage Fright” is written and directed by sophomore Alex Hott.
The cast includes Hunter Sonntag, Hayden Hasty, Brendan Smith-Hynes, Eleonore Hopping, Cameron Reynolds, Bradley Roettger, Marshall Bedell, Ashley Wemhoff and Alex Hott.
“The Death of Led Jetskii” is written and directed by sophomore Cameron Reynolds.
The cast includes Hunter Sonntag, Bre Danback, Alex Hott, Bradley Roettger, Brendan Smith-Hynes, Eleonore Hopping and Jadon Read.