Tension and excitement fills the Campus Theatre as the performers, writers and directors of the Student One-Act Plays prepare for opening night Oct. 15 at 8 p.m.

“Murder Well Rehearsed,” “Your Life is a Feature Film” and “Titanic” are the three plays that will be directed entirely by students.

“Murder Well Rehearsed,” a murder-mystery story, is written by John Carroll and is being directed Monica CdeBaca.

“Without giving too much of it away, the play is about a group of performers who find a dead body on stage,” CdeBaca said. “It’s full of suspense as the performers try to find out who did it.”

EC student Brandon Ferruccio is directing Alan Minieri’s “Your Life is a Feature Film,” a play written about a young man, Luke, who discovers on his 21st birthday that his whole life has been scripted.

“The story has great comical moments, but it also has a dark side,” Ferruccio said. “It’s very scary in a way. Imagine finding out that your entire life had been a feature film; it would be shocking.”

“Your Life is a Feature Film” has twists that are added “hit after hit” as audience and Luke uncover together new surprises in his life, Ferruccio said.

“The audience travels through the story with Luke and comes to understand him as more and more surprises are revealed,” Ferruccio said.

The final play being presented is “Titanic,” written by Christopher Durang and directed by EC student Tawny Lewis.

“The play is about an unlikely group of passengers onboard the Titanic in 1912,” Lewis said. “It’s a fictional story of sex, deceit and betrayal.”

“The play will be controversial; Durang writes about issues that happen every day but people don’t want to talk about,” Lewis said.

The faculty at EC pushes its students to new heights and encourages students to take on challenges, Ferruccio said.

Ferruccio had been taking acting courses since he was 12, but never thought of directing until after high school, he said.

“I felt it would be neat to be part of the directing and bring everyone together as a unit,” Ferruccio said.

Like Ferruccio, CdeBaca and Lewis began acting while they were young. Inspiration came to each student differently and has helped them create the plays.

“Directing helps me out as an actress,” Lewis said. “I want to be able to help out other actors and actresses.”

While Ferruccio, CdeBaca and Lewis all have separate reasons for answering the call to the director’s chair, each student expressed mixed feelings of anxiety and excitement over opening night.

“I’ll be on the edge of my seat, waiting for that first reaction from the audience,” CdeBaca said. “It’s that first reaction that lets you know if the audience is with you or against you.”

“It’s great, there’s nothing like it; knowing the audience was there with you from beginning to end,” Lewis said.

“The rehearsal process is long and drawn out, but when it’s done, you’ve accomplished so much,” Lewis said.

“It’s a great feeling; it’s hard to describe. I’ve never had a child, but it’s like watching your baby grow. You let go and put your trust in the actors,” CdeBaca said.

“Everything will work out fantastically; Tawney, Monica and I are determined, creative people,” Ferruccio said. “All the faculty has been behind us all the way.”