First love driven by wild imagination in Harvard’s One Act

Tom Algren (Cohen Reutzel) has a crush—no, not a crush, he’s in love... with the girl working at his college’s library. The girl he finds out is named Rhonda (Zoe Smith), and who he just laid eyes on for the first time ever.

In Harvard’s One Act, “Crush,’ by Rand Higbee, Tom explores his wild imagination in an attempt to rally up the courage to ask her out by creating some out-of-pocket scenarios.

First, Tom sees himself as Humphrey Bogart, who wins the girl, but can’t go out with her the second she’s off work, so their relationship can never work out.

Then, he imagines Rhonda’s attractive roommate, Roberta (Allee Jarzynka), who comes in and tells Rhonda that she has two men she can’t decide between.

One is a millionaire and the other is...Rhonda’s boyfriend?

Then comes the second version of what Tom believes could be Rhonda’s roommate—Greta (Jacee Grimes).

Greta is a bit dirty and unkempt, and also reveals that Rhonda’s boyfriend is also leaving her for another girl.

Distressed at both situations with her potential roommates, Rhonda wonders if there are any guys out there for her, and only her.

It’s then that Tom turns a bit fantastical with his ideas, as two pirates (Luis Aguilar and Emanuel Silva Solis) come into the library and hold Rhonda hostage.

In another idea, Dracula (Guadalupe Gabriel-Gomez) tries to drink Rhonda’s blood. In both situations, Tom must rescue his damsel.

In between all of this, Tom is second-guessing himself, even trying one idea of asking her out to her face, before she turns him down. Her reason, according to Tom’s imagination? She’s much too attractive and intelligent for someone like Tom.

Finally, after exhausting all the ideas he could imagine, Tom decides to go for it by checking out a book by the same author Rhonda was reading.

Book in hand, he walks toward the counter, only to find that the love of his life is gone and another girl is in her place, due to a shift change.

Additional cast members include Shelly (Ceci Mattice); and ensemble— Brooklyne Juranek, Aguilar, and Silva Solis.

Crew include: MayLeea Boyd, Haley Gimpel, Damaris Rodriguez, Pedro Perez, Mariana Tucker, Hannah Miller, Sebastian Rodriguez, and Rakydison Aumiller. Harvard’s One Act is directed by Brandy Reutzel and Mirinda Boyd.