Last Updated: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 10:30 AM CST
Your School : Wabeno drama department's one-act play advances to state competition
Wabeno High School Drama's one-act play has advanced to the State level in the Wisconsin High School Forensics Association's annual one-act play festival. WHS Drama is performing "Until the Stars All Fall from the Sky" by Nick Ireland. The play advanced through the Oconto Falls Sectional held Friday, November 2.
The judges praised "Until the Stars All Fall from the Sky" for being a very original work, presented in a singular style. Four actors provide all the character voices while another seven act out the story.
"It's kind of like a live-action cartoon," said director Nick Lowery, "or a puppet show with human puppets.”
The simple story tells of a peace-loving tribe who becomes involved with an evil queen and a powerful goddess. Things go askew when the librarian who narrates the story can't quite get her characters to behave. Some run out into the audience; others refuse to do their assigned parts; and when the action gets really exciting, the concealed voice actors pop out to see what is happening! The judge giving the oral critique pointed out that the show was so unique that it "deserved to be showcased at State."
The WHSFA isn't split into classes or divisions based on school size. In order to try to avoid any accusations of favoritism, the judges aren't even informed what school they are judging; they just watch the play and make their decision on the basis of what they see on the stage.
"It makes it tough for small schools to get through, but it means a lot to the kids that they are competing on a level field with schools much bigger than they are - sometimes ten times bigger," said Lowery.
State qualifiers Wabeno and Gibraltar High Schools have about 200 students each.
"Gibraltar and Wabeno are the outliers," Lowery said. "The average size of the other schools advancing to State through our sectional was over 1,000."
The cast features WHS seniors Kelly Ellis, Meghan Keller, Amanda Leonard, Jessica Veeser and Cassandra Weyers. Juniors in the cast are Audra Demmith, Dan Franzen, Angela Martinson and Jeff Orley. Sophomores Olivia McKenna and Rachel Rocole and freshman Erica Keller round out the cast. Junior Chris Adamczyk is the stage manager and sophomore Frankie Derfus is the running crew. The author would like to thank Nicole Lowery of the Up North Authors' Circle for her invaluable script suggestions.
The State Theatre Festival will be held November 15 through 17 at UW-Stevens Point. WHS will perform in the Mikkelson Theatre at 8 a.m. on Saturday, November 17.
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