With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, this year’s winter play, “Seven Ways to Say I Love You”, is centered around love. The play premiered on Wednesday, February 10 at 6 p.m., was also performed Thursday and will be performed tonight and tommorow starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are selling for $5, and they can be purchased at the door. “Seven Ways to Say I Love You” tells the story of seven encounters, both romantic and platonic. One skit, titled “The Moment,” details an encounter between a girl and her boss, while another called “Ambiance Pizza” involves a guy asking a pizza worker out on a date.

“I didn’t necessarily choose this play for the theme; rather, I chose it because I thought it would showcase a lot of actors in a really sweet, fun way,” Director Britnee Ruscitti said. “Plus, we are conveniently performing over Valentine’s Day weekend, so it was great timing.”

Notable actors in this year’s play are freshmen Tessa Cruz and Mike DeRango and juniors Ivan Anrubio and Jasmin Carrillo. For some students, this is their first time performing onstage, and this play provides each actor the opportunity to stand in the spotlight.

“I absolutely adore working with new actors, and this show has been no exception,” Ruscitti said. “I am working with a lot of students that I have not worked with before. Some of them are performing for the very first time, so it’s an exciting experience for all of us. Watching the growth in my actors is always my favorite part.”

This is DeRango’s first RMHS play. Although it has been a little bit daunting, the winter play has been a great experience for him.

“This is my first play, so it’s a bit tough to get every line down, but with a little practice, it gets a lot better,” DeRango said.

In addition to the actors, senior Sarah Doh and junior Isabella Baldassano have worked exceptionally hard as student directors of the play. Doh was given the opportunity to direct the scene titled “The Moment,” and this scene immediately caught her attention. Doh has an unparalleled enthusiasm for directing, and she would like to continue directing after high school and as a career.

“I really liked [directing] a lot; it’s been so fun,” Doh said. “Everyone involved in the play is just awesome in their own little way. I would love to [direct] again.”

The original script only had each skit be a strictly stand- alone performance. However, the winter play deviates from its original script in that it includes an introduction, transitions and a conclusion. Ruscitti wanted to connect each of the seven skits together, so the cast members wrote their own introduction, transitions and conclusion for each skit. Including these little aspects helps to blend every scene together to appear more like a play rather than seven separate skits.

“It also gave us a taste of play devising, which is a fresh new experience for everyone in the cast,” Ruscitti said.

The cast and crew have put in a lot of effort into this production, and they are looking forward to a good turnout.