One-act plays hit the stage Saturday at Hat High theatre for regional competition

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on April 10, 2025.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

Theatre enthusiasts of Medicine Hat will be clearing their Saturday evening night of one-act plays, as put on by the Alberta Dramatic Festival Association.

Each year, the one-act festival takes on a series of performances both on the regional and provincial level, to encourage actors and directors alike to put their skills to the test.

“A one-act show is a complete story with a beginning, a middle and an end that is between 10 minutes and one hour with no intermission. You can have as little as one person or as many on the stage as you can fit,” said Kate Leeming, ADFA Cypress region representative. “They can be all sorts of genres. They can be comedies, dramas, musicals, mime, whatever the performers want.”

This year, in addition to the three performances that will be adjudicated by a guest coming in from Fort McMurray, there will also be three showcase performances by students from Medicine Hat High School, to better fill out the evening and to give the audience a chance to see performances that are usually only for their fellow students.

“The festival is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to get involved in theatre or has never tried, but maybe wants to try directing or has never been on stage,” said Leeming. “One-acts are always a great way to get started in theatre because the shows themselves are really simple.”

Special this year is the ADFA provincial level festival will also be hosted in Medicine Hat in late May, so Hatters will be able to not only see the best of this weekend’s shows again, but the winning talent from all across the province.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. this Saturday at the Karen Cunningham Theatre at Medicine Hat High School. Admission is by donation to the wheelchair-accessible, 220-person theatre, but Leeming does warn that it is rush seating, so those determined to attend should arrive early.

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