The Norse Code interviewed the directors of the East Theater Company's upcoming One Acts! Below is our interview with Tori Brady, who wrote the One Act A Little Bit of Popcorn, Cookies and Unicorn Dust along with Colin Barch!

What inspired you to write your One Act?

Colin had originally asked me to write a one act with him based off of the residents we had to work with at our job together but nothing was really connecting. Then one day Colin texted me and we started talking about Teen Beach Movie with the idea of two opposing sides that don’t really like each other. We then got the idea for having two different teams competing against each other. Thus we created A Little Bit of Popcorn, Cookies and Unicorn Dust, which fun fact is supposed to be like a little bit of faith, trust, and pixie dust.

Was this your first experience writing a script in the way? How was it?

It was actually a very comical experience. Colin and I together make quite a funny team. Half of our ideas just came about in the moment and contain some jokes that I would use on a daily basis. Coming up with an idea at first was a little bit difficult but once we started we just kept going. Once we started writing the script it was easy to know what actors look for and describing what we wanted the actors to do because Colin and I are actors ourselves and have been in many productions together. This was not my first experience writing a script because I did write a one act with another one of my friends last year and it just didn’t get picked. I’m very thankful to be able to direct this one act with Colin because it is hilarious!

How were auditions and rehearsals (so far) different because of the pandemic?

Auditions actually ran very smoothly because we had a lot of people audition. A lot of people knew how they run already because we have many returning actors. Everyone did such an amazing job at auditions it was really challenging to come up with a cast. I know personally when the auditions came I was still recovering from the musical the day before but that did not stop me or anyone else from showing up!

I know you put on the musical this spring. How was the experience with the pandemic? How were things different or the same?

Going into this year I did not think there was going to be a musical at all this year but thankfully that idea was incorrect. I am so thankful that we were able to put on a show even if we had to do it with masks on and a smaller audience because it gave the seniors one last show to put on before we all leave. I will not lie, it was challenging having to do everything with a mask on and I am sure we were all tempted to take them off, but luckily we did not have any major problems and we put on 4 spectacular performances. This musical was one of my favorite shows I have ever been a part of because of the group of people involved as well as the musical soundtrack. There was some normalcy even in the pandemic because we were still able to perform on stage. However, there were some things that had to be different in order to keep spacing like spacing out who is in what dressing room and trying to keep that 6 foot distance at all times.

What’s your favorite memory of ETC?

There are so many memories that I could mention but one of my favorite memories was in sophomore year when I wore my rainbow crocs on stage as the character Wrath in Seven Deadly Scenes.

Tell us a bit about your show! Why should people see it?

Anyone that enjoys laughing or enjoys girl scout cookies should come and see our show! There is a mixture of comedy, romance, gambling, and even an appearance by a celebrity.

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Here is our interview with Brandi Maddrey, who wrote Welcome to the Family with Mars Amabile!

What inspired you to write your One Act?

Honestly, I wrote Welcome to the Family for fun back during junior year. I always loved writing and heard about One Acts back in my sophomore year during my creative writing class. I knew a few of the directors too, so I decided to try writing and submitting one myself this year.

Was this your first experience writing a script in the way? How was it?

No. I wrote one during my sophomore year in my creative writing class with my homie, Mr. Bonds. I worked with two other students at the time. We had so much fun together making up the characters and creating dramatic situations for each scene. We weren’t too serious about it as our main antagonist’s name was Britknee Clout.

How were auditions and rehearsals (so far) different because of the pandemic?

Truthfully, I’m not entirely sure since this was my first time being part of ETC but seeing everyone auditioning in masks was definitely unusual. Still, I can’t help but appreciate the hard work my classmates put into the theater.

I know you put on the musical this spring. How was the experience with the pandemic? How were things different or the same?

Mars and I happened to join ETC at the beginning of May for the One Acts.

What’s your favorite memory of ETC?

The acceptance and inclusion from the ETC to newcomers.

Tell us a bit about your show! Why should people see it?

Welcome to the Family is about a rich family with a mother obsessed over her oldest son, but everything goes off the rails when her beloved son comes home with his fiancee. The fiancee must find a way to impress the mother and get accepted into the family. If anyone enjoys a lighthearted comedy then I encourage you to come and see it!

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And last but not least, here is our interview with Peter Ford, writer of Fried Fish and Frappucinos!

What inspired you to write your One Act?

I knew I wanted to write a one act this year because I wrote one last year. For this year I wanted to make one that was simpler, and throughout the writing process I just came up with concepts that I thought would be a good starting point for a one act. Once I came up with an idea I thought was good I just started writing, and now here we are.

Was this your first experience writing a script in the way? How was it?

Writing a one act was my first experience in writing a script, and it was a really interesting learning experience. In a lot of ways it's quite different from other things that a person might write making it a pretty unique experience. Before I started writing I did some reading about how a person is supposed to format a script and how to write things like stage directions or indicating a character's actions. All in all it was really fun to write and it's great to see it come alive on stage.

How were auditions and rehearsals (so far) different because of the pandemic?

The biggest difference is that due to the musical being later this year, we are in a real time crunch to get these one acts finished. Otherwise, the process of one acts has remained mostly the same.

I know you put on the musical this spring. How was the experience with the pandemic? How were things different or the same?

It was great to be able to still put on a show despite the pandemic going on. I still had a great time participating in it even with how different it all was. The strangest thing about the whole process is that we had to wear masks while acting, which is difficult because it eliminates one of an actor's most effective ways to show emotion effectively. The other most difficult aspect was the fact that due to contact tracing, many members of the cast were out for extended periods of time.

Tell us a bit about your show! Why should people see it?

Without spoiling the whole plot, Fried Fish and Frappuccinos follow Gilbert, a college graduate with a degree in dead languages, who enters a contest to win a million dollars not knowing that there's a catch to winning. This catch causes various problems in his life. The show features Luther Case as Gilbert, Alec Mckee as Randall, Ellie Blanck as Rita Fleming, Rylee and Sofie Daniszewski as Monica and Tina, and Becca Hutchinson as Angela. I think people should come see the show to see all these actors put out some great performances, and I think some people will get a good laugh out of the show.

ETC's One Acts will be performed in the East Auditorium from May 25th-27th. Be sure to come out and see them!