The most recent play from IWBHS’s theater program titled Impact features micro-plays aimed at underlying themes of quarantine life and its mental toll. Directed by Matthew B. Zrebski and produced by Jamie Miller (Southwest Stageworks), Impact opened on May 26th and played until the 30th. The performance will also be released for free on  Southwest Stagework’s Youtube channel as a thank you to the community at the end of the school day on June 11th. 

Impacts’s unique story structure allows the viewer to indulge in multiple ingenious pieces of a story that are written and acted by students spanning over two volumes of video, both volumes clocking-in around an hour long. Each skit tells a different tale but has the same theme of quarantine life throughout the play. 

Every performance is a solo act, each unique from the others. Ranging from sad and intense, to funny and lighthearted, each act gives you a look into each of the students’ style of acting, providing a sense of community and diversity. 

Plays like Going Up by Liam Thompson and We All Fall Down by Quinnlan Brawn, can both be considered comedic performances but have deeper fundamental themes. On the other hand, you have heavier and more moving themes in skits, such as: Joyful Noise by Molly Cogburn-Frary and Song of Pestilence by Joeyy Whitaker. All of the plays have innovative storytelling and it feels like the students really worked hard despite working in these chaotic times. 

Impact delivers when it comes to explaining what students go through during quarantine. The isolation, the loss, and how the brain reacts to sudden amounts of change and challenge. It can be relatable, dark, and sad, but overall honest and realistic. The plays range in acting skill, some lower than others, some higher than others. This is all to be expected when each student is working solo, and due to that fact, the effort put into it was phenomenal. 

The innovation to make a skit with only one person is interesting, and definitely a challenge, but the actors executed well so they could incorporate a good skit even if there’s no one to talk to except themselves. 

When in quarantine, you can feel lonely, or a sense of loss, or even like you’re losing your mind. I think that Impact really capitalizes on those feelings by working them into clever stories for people to watch and enjoy. Though the play is in an unconventional format, which can make for awkward moments, the effort and talent to be able to convince yourself to talk to a camera or dance and sing to one is something worth applauding. The two-hour runtime was a worthwhile experience, and it is always good to see what is really going on in students’ minds during quarantine. 

Verdict: 8.5/10