by Kate Diuguid ’22

Seniors Morgan Dunn and Ally Newby are writing a short play for this year’s Winter One Acts in January. Their one-act is based on the popular mobile app, Episode, an interactive story app that allows users to direct the story by choosing between different options to progress the storyline. The app has gained thousands of users recently with it’s advertisements frequently appearing in popular social media apps and games. Dunn and Newby’s one-act will reflect the trending app with a series of decisions for the audience to make throughout the play.

The plot will follow Constance, “a sassy gal who always gets what and who she wants,” said Dunn. “She’s in a love triangle with her girlfriend, Poppy; the man she casually dates, Fox, and a rich man she wants to marry for his money; Jimothy.” 

The choices the audience make will decide small things like where Constance goes on a date, or her reaction to a bad grade, but the options get more purposeful, eventually deciding who Constance ends up with.

The idea for the one-act, called “Gold Digger,” came to Dunn and Newby when they started playing Episode during practices for Rock ’n Roll. Dunn stated the appeal stemmed from “being able to decide what the characters will do and not knowing what’s going to happen next.” 

The story starts with Constance getting kicked out of college right before graduation. She then goes to New York City to find a rich husband instead of getting a job. “What happens in New York, the audience gets to decide,” said Dunn. She hopes that the audience will take away that stories are meant to be a fun way to get creative ideas out and aren’t meant to be taken too seriously.

Sherwood’s Winter One-Acts will hit the Ertzman Theater this January 15 and 16 from 7 p.m to 9 p.m.