The circumstances couldn’t have been more perfect: a play about a community garden performed on Earth Day. And for Broken Box adviser and Acting I teacher Lisa Battle, the play itself was perfect. 

“I’m kind of bummed because I never want to do a different play ever,” Battle said. “It’s just so perfect for what Acting I is.” 

This year, Acting I will be putting on a show — a first in Battle’s time teaching Acting I . In years prior, students only worked on individual scenes. But as more and more students expressed a desire to put on a full play, Battle decided to make it happen. 

For the class’s inaugural production, she chose the play “Community Garden”, written during the lockdown of 2020. 

The play is a series of vignettes, following main character Ralph as he meets different people who have unique relationships with the community garden and each other. 

“It’s about the fact that the garden is a place where people can be themselves and learn to be better and make things happen,” Battle said “There’s two roommates who are friends and are helping each other deal with death. There’s a girl trying to take over the family business. There’s just all these small little stories, and the play is about how all those small little stories come together in this community garden.”

For senior Deven Merced, who plays the main character Ralph, “Community Garden” has deepened his passion for acting. 

“The play has definitely increased my interest in actual acting,” Deven said. “It really opened me up to playing a role and being in front of the class which is something I’ve wanted to do all year. I have a lot to memorize, but being involved in everyone else’s scenes, and seeing how they’re doing it, and being able to give tips of my own is amazing.”

Battle had originally picked out the show for Broken Box, but when she realized it had too few parts, she knew it would be perfect for Acting I. The variety in the scenes was also a big attracting factor for Battle.

“This play is also perfect because it’s so diverse,” Battle said. “There are funny moments and sad moments and cringe moments, which really allows these new acting students to pick roles they think would grow them the most, or that they are the most drawn to. ”

Yet this new production created many challenges for Battle. Participation in the play was optional, and people who did not want to be in it were assigned to tech roles. Additionally, because putting on a play is such a time-intensive process, the class will begin a new unit while still rehearsing.

“There’s so many people with different jobs in one place,” Battle said. “We’re also trying to learn the basics of acting, so I have to manage tech and the acting students at the same time. Luckily, it’s the second semester so they already know a lot of things, but it’s different from Broken Box which is independent, project based learning.”

Performing in front of an audience for the first time — something many Acting I students have to do — can be daunting, and is something that doesn’t always come easily.

“I think it’s really challenging to put yourself out there and be serious,” junior Amaya Kelly said. “I’m actually trying, and it’s kind of embarrassing to do that in front of the whole class. In one scene where I fall over a planter, Ms. Battle told me to be more pathetic and be more dramatic, which was a little hard.”

The show has also given students new approaches to their acting and how they portray their characters. 

“I definitely think about Ralph a lot outside the classroom, and how he would act in certain situations,” Deven said. “Sometimes when I’m with my friends or just around the house I think about what Ralph would do, and then I try to bring that frame of thinking to the classroom.”

With opening night approaching, students are excited to see the final product.

“I think it’s going to be really amazing to see people’s hard work put together, and I think it’s going to look really cool on the set,” Amaya said. “Personally this has helped me grow and get better at speaking in front of other people, so I can’t wait to see the end result.”

“I tell my parents to come and watch all the Broken Box shows,” Battle said. “But I told them that they need to come to this one, because it’s so exciting and all these kids are just killing it, especially for their first time. It’s so magical for me — it’s why I come to school.”

The show will take place on Monday, April 21 and Tuesday, April 22 at the Eagle Theatre.