Can you smell the drama in the air? No, I’m not talking about the new season of Gossip Girl. I’m talking about Bothell High Dramafest. Dramafest, also known as One-Acts, is the first drama gig of the school year. Everyone who tries out gets a part, and this year there was an especially high turnout. Students perform in one-act plays directed by seniors with drama experience. The best plays are selected to perform in the Northshore Performing Arts Center (NPAC) in “The Best of the Fest,” Oct. 29^th and 30^th, while the others perform in “The Rest of the Fest” at 2 P.M. on the 30th. I sat in on some rehearsals to see what One-Acts are all about.

            This year a record number of guys tried out, twenty-two altogether. In past years there have rarely been so many males. According to director Rhianna Bennett, “We had the largest amount of incoming sophomores this year, with the largest amount of talent.” Bennett’s play, co-directed by Jasmine Cobb, is called “Freak.” It’s about a girl who finds herself in a freak show with no recollection of how she got there or how to get out. Max Goeke stands out as being one of the only men there when I show up. "I like all the attention I'm getting from the ladies," he says with a wink. I wink right back and then shamble across the courtyard in time to see Audrey Michael chasing one of her actors around a picnic table. The spirit of camaraderie is contagious, and you just can't help but have fun.

            Audrey is directing a play called “Governing Alice,” which is a modern take on a Greek classic. Regarding the play, Audrey says, “I really like the characters, and I’m going to have a lot of fun with the costumes.” Her sister Lauren is also directing a one-act this year. Lauren’s play, “13 Ways To Screw Up Your College Interview,” is about two college interviewers who need to recruit one more student or they will lose their jobs. Laughs and quirky characters abound.

            But it's not all fun and games. Kylie McElrath is giving her cast members a brief grace period before she starts charging them for forgotten lines. It's tough love, but it works. After playing some ice-breaking games with the cast and acting as an impromptu understudy for one of the actors, I feel like a thespian already. As Cobb points out, "There are a lot of different people types of people [in drama], but it feels like one big family."

            If you’re interested in doing drama, talk to Mr. Wilson or one of the drama students about performing in the winter play or the musical. If you want to check out Dramafest, head to the NPAC on October 29^th and 30^th, at 7:00, or the 30^th at 2:00.