Putting on a play usually takes months of preparation and hard work, but the Eastport-South Manor Theatre Department’s recent production only took a fraction of the time.
On Nov. 7-9, the Jr.-Sr. High School thespians participated in The Five Day Play Challenge, under the direction of Toni Borkowski and Clint Raynor. Held in the school’s Black Box Theatre, the production showcased the work of more than 50 students who presented four separate, student-written plays. The catch was that students had only five days to produce the dramas, which included memorization, acting, set building, painting and lighting.
Ms. Bortowski admitted that The Five Day Challenge was indeed a “challenge” but well worth the intensity of getting these productions ready for the audience. The students performed for packed houses. The price of admission was a nonperishable food item collected for the ESM food pantry.
Students performed Abigail White’s “A Hand of Fate,” Julianna Terry’s “Ghost Stories,” Lee Pacello’s “Family Vacation,” and “The Incredible Three” by Jack Gallagher and Emily Tracy. Each play included a cast of between four to seven actors. Although the executive directors were faculty, the production was run solely by students who served as stage mangers, costume manager, prop mistress, running crew, crew, carpenters and light board and sound board operators and technicians.
“Creating a play in five days is a monumental task, yet the students embraced the task with enthusiasm and professionalism,” Ms. Bortowski said. “Their performance in the Black Box Theatre is a testament to their remarkable creativity and collaboration.”
Click here to view the The Theatre Department Takes on The Five Day Play Challenge slideshow.
Date Added: 11/17/2025