Port Townsend High School drama students present three one-act plays from the Theater of the Absurd at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 5; and 2:30 and 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 6.

Two plays by Edward Albee, "The Sandbox" and "The American Dream," plus a more modern play by Lee Falk, "Home at Six," explore the absurdity of human existence through characters overwhelmed by the chaotic and irrational nature of their environment.

Coined by Martin Esslin in his 1962 book "The Theater of the Absurd," the term refers to plays that mirror the existential philosophy that life is basically meaningless in a structure without narrative continuity.

Director Jennifer Nielsen emphasizes that these plays, while “illogical and seemingly random, present strong messages about our world, our society and ourselves.”

She said that in her AP English class, students study the Theater of the Absurd and now they can experience this genre firsthand at two additional school performances. “I’m looking forward to discussing these plays and their themes with my students,” Nielsen said.

Albee published “The Sandbox” in 1959 and the prequel to that play, “The American Dream,” in 1960. The characters, representing the quintessential American family, are basically the same in each of these plays, including Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and Young Man. The dilemma in both is “What to do with Grandma?” Albee describes his work as "an examination of the American Scene, an attack on the substitution of artificial for real values in our society, a condemnation of complacency, cruelty, and emasculation and vacuity, a stand against the fiction that everything in this slipping land of ours is peachy-keen.”

Falk's "Home at Six" also examines the absurdity of family life when the main character, John, comes home at 4 p.m. one day instead of 6 p.m. At 6 p.m., “all is as it should be,” but at 4 p.m., nothing is as he expects. This uproarious comedy is cleverly written in all single-syllable words, which adds to the absurdity.

The cast includes some experienced student actors including Sadie Palatnik, Stevie Riepe, Marcus Buford, Miranda McClave, Tyler Manthe, Diana Bond, Paula Sexton and Mahina Gelderloos.

Producing a winter show provides more opportunity for students to become involved on stage, and newcomers include Bethany Lynch, Michell Morris, Mimi Grant, Alex Genaw, Caleb Lombard and Shauna Lynch.

These “Winter One-Acts” are presented for one weekend only: at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 5; and at 2:30 and 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 6 in the PTHS auditorium. Tickets, available only at the door, cost $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students. The box office opens one hour before the show.

These plays contain some mature content and are not recommended for children younger than 12. Contact Nielsen with any questions at 379-6761 or jnielsen@ptschools.org.