The Anselmian Abbey Players will present this year’s One Act Play Festival on Feb. 2, 3, and 4. Consisting of three plays—two comedies and one drama—the festival promises to encompass the theme of “You Can’t Fight Fate” with laughs and perhaps a few tears.

Beginning the evening, Emily Schomp ’18 and Jake Miller ’18 will present Sam Wolfson’s Boy Meets Girl.  The comedy follows the romantic relationship of two preschoolers.  Described as a satire, Boy Meets Girl will certainly resonate with an audience of twenty-first century daters.

Julia Nosel ’19 and Kelsey Warner ’19 direct They Walk Among Us, a heartwarming tale of three angels sent from “The Big Man” to watch over Adam, a young man struggling to rectify his homosexuality with his Catholic faith.  The play was written by the late Nicholas “Nicky” O’Neil, the youngest of 100 victims of a nightclub fire in Rhode Island in 2003.  The show promises to be an encouraging and constructive addendum to the players’ production of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later presented in the fall of 2016.

Wrapping up the evening will be Kate Dugas’ direction of A.R. Gurney’s Sylvia.  The comedy follows Kate and Greg, a married couple living in New York City whose children are grown and moved out.  While on a break from work, Greg discovers Sylvia—a mutt—living in central park.  Greg brings Sylvia, who is played by a woman, home with him, much to Kate’s dislike.  When asked why she chose the play, Dugas explained “I chose Sylvia because I did it over the summer and I fell in love with the comedy of it. It’s not a well-known show, but those are my favorite. It’s a sophisticated show but still is silly! It can connect with an audience of any age and I hope it will keep people laughing all night.”

Tickets are currently available at the box office and online: $6 for Saint Anselm College students, $8 for faculty, staff, alumni, senior citizens, and children, and $9 for general admission.  Traditionally, the players offer a student BOGO discount on opening night.