After
watching, listening, and then individually critiquing eight Class A
dramatic productions, a panel of judges rated three of them “starred
performances” on Friday, Feb. 14, during the 2014 State One Act Play
Festival sponsored by the Minnesota State High School League. The
two-day festival is conducted at O’Shaughnessy Auditorium on the St.
Catherine University campus in St. Paul.
The top eight Class A productions from across the state took the stage throughout the day. The three schools whose performances were cited for “starred performances” were (in order of performance) Nova Classical Academy of St. Paul for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Park Rapids Area for FREAK, and Belle Plaine for The Drowsy Professor.
This was the first appearance for Nova Classical Academy. This was the
27th appearance for Park Rapids Area and 14th “starred performance
rating. This was the 12th appearance for Belle Plaine and 11th “starred
performance” rating.
The
other participating Class A high schools were East Central of
Sandstone, Rushford-Peterson, Sauk Centre, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, and
Ada-Borup.
Representing Section 4, Nova Classical Academy’s “starred performance” of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Gilman was directed by Hannah Steblay. Alice in Wonderland
is the story of a curious little girl who follows a white rabbit down a
rabbit hole. What she finds down below is a world of magic and whimsy.
She meets some interesting characters along the way (including some
well-known favorites) such as a saucy Caterpillar, the illusive Cheshire
Cat, and the tyrannical Queen of Hearts. Cast members were Katie Erickson, Ellen Geis, Jake Henke, Lillie Horton, Miles Kramer, Elan Nelson, and Angela Wunderlich.
Colleen Erickson provided support. This was the first appearance and
first “starred” rating for Nova Classical Academy, which is located in
St. Paul.
Representing Section 6, Park Rapids Area’s “starred performance” of FREAK earned the school its 14th “starred” rating in its 26th appearance. The play, written by Angela Hill, was directed by Juliann
Kjenaas and Jonathan Harrison. This production starts with the
questions of “Who am I? How did I get here, and where am I going?” FREAK
is a fantasy/social drama that examines the process of
self-exploration, identity formation, and self-reconciliation. The play
considers the power of individual choices, the extreme consequences they
can lead to, and the redemptive power of hope. Cast members were Bobby
Bruce, Jada Current, Paige Hill, Lewis Johnson, Danielle Lockrem, Noah
Schulz, Jimmy Farmer, Myah Schultz, Katelynn Warmbold, Jena Stewart,
Brandon Haller, Kate Westphal, Katy Spears, Madison Griffith, Madi
Malzahn, and Marcus McKeever. Support personnel were Lisha Guisinger,
Andrew Baldwin, and Joseph Bannerman. Park Rapids Area earned its
previous top ratings in 1972, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1991, 1993,
1994, 2000, 2009, 2010, and 2011.
Representing Section 2, Belle Plaine’s “starred performance” of The Drowsy Professor by B.
Dwayne Craft was directed by Tony Hartmann and Peter Jacobson. On the
verge of uncovering the greatest discovery of mankind, a narcoleptic
professor and his overly devoted assistant, Marisol, decide to go public
with his findings. Unfortunately, discovery has its costs, risks, and
rewards. The school was making its 12th appearance and earned its 11th
“starred” rating. The school earned previous “starred” ratings in 1993,
1997, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013. Cast members
Nick Johnson, Felicity Mecredy, Jake Hartmann, Alec Lorenz, Mikhayla
Clausen, Hannah Burmeister, Raina Busch, Patrick Schaefer, Patrick
Selly, Jennifer He, Max Hughes, Aiden Winterfeldt, Rylee Pumper, Kali
Gorman, Stephen LaJeunesse, Catherine Littlepage, Megan Littlepage,
Katelyn Schmit, Jonah Meyer, Dylan O'Brien. Crew members were also part
of the ensemble.
The
Minnesota State High School League State One Act Play Festival does not
involve direct competition. Judges rate the plays according to specific
criteria, including pace, blocking, costuming, and projection of the
play’s meaning. Each production is limited to 10 minutes of stage
preparation and 35 minutes of actual performance.
The
judges consult after each production and then openly critique each in
front of the cast, crew, and audience. “Starred performance” ratings are
determined by private balloting of the judges. One school from each of
eight sections in each class gets to perform at the state level. Two
hundred and ninety-eight teams participated in One Act Play this season,
206 in Class A and 92 in Class AA
Each cast and crew member involved with these three productions was also presented a Spotlight on the Arts
Award of Excellence recognition pin. This is a fine arts recognition
award created by Wells Fargo, the League’s premier sponsor, in
cooperation with the League. The casts and crews were also awarded a
handsome acrylic trophy incorporating the Spotlight on the Arts logo.
