What could you do in ten minutes? Read a chapter of a book? Begin a crossword puzzle? But could you perform an original one-act play, musical, or dance piece? From May 31-June 1, Sock ‘n’ Buskin members did just that, seven times over as they took to the stage to display their creativity in The Young Playwrights Festival (YPF). Seniors Jack Hopkins and Violet Massie-Vereker, as festival directors, made sure the evening of original, student-created plays ran smoothly.

YPF pieces are carefully vetted by the directors, as well as advisors Mr. Beck and Mr. Schleifer. The evening lasted about ninety minutes and was made up of seven pieces, all with different themes and styles.

Brunette Boys was a comedy by sophomores Ella Burns and Katja Fair that showed how self-image can be affected by hair color. Junior Brian McFarland, sophomore Vikram Jallepalli, and freshman Theo Massie-Vereker got the crowd laughing.

Breaking the Silence was an emotional dance piece by seniors Siobhan Joyce-Farley and Elise Aronson about abusive relationships. Aronson and fellow senior Jack Hopkins were particularly effective.

Honey, the showcase’s lone musical, had songs by Jallepalli and a libretto by Violet Massie-Vereker. It’s impressive that they created the short musical given the amount of time they had, and it was a fan favorite.

Other pieces on the bill were Everyday Liar, a tragic romance written by senior Sam Rodd, The Council, a comedy written by juniors Charlie Pedorella and Jack Finegan, and The CONvention, written by junior Emmie Kelly.

The night closed with Mama, Where Did Papa Go?, a comical piece co-written by juniors Emma McNulty and Jack Finegan about a children’s theatre troupe led by a megalomaniacal director, played by Rodd.

“A lot of people who haven’t previously been involved with Sock ‘n’ Buskin took part in YPF this year, which made for a really interesting and fun evening!” sophomore Sophia Leung said.