The One Act Play group has a busy upcoming week where they will present their play, Oz, to the community, judges, and the high school student body. They have four different performances to show on four different days. The cast has spent several hours working on this play, with hopes of excelling past the district contest.  

Members include seniors Katy Jones, Joshua Samaron, Dorri Samarron, and Jesse Gill, juniors Alex Alvarez, Rosie Hernandez, Oscar Flores, and Gabi Garcia, sophomores Emma Samaron, Lynnsey Mahler, Xavyer Mosqueda, and Emma Stevenson, and freshmen Nehemiah Castillo, Abby Perez, and Braileigh Goe. Play sponsors are Cassi Furr and Marlana Tanaro. 

“We have been working hard for this,” Jones stated. “I am really excited, yes there are a few things we still are working on, but I think the end result will be good.” 

The play is called Oz by Don Zolidis. It is a twist on the commonly known Wizard of Oz. 

“I tell people it is the characters you know and love, but it is not the story you know and love,” Furr said. “We hope that we can send our audience on an emotional roller coaster during the show. It starts kind of sad, there is a whole lot of comedy in the middle, we hit a really sad spot, and then end hopeful.” 

They will present their show to the community on Monday the 28th at 7:30 in the auditorium. 

“This is the first time that our kids will actually get to perform in front of audience and they need that experience,” Furr declared. “They need to hear the laughter on the funny parts, because as directors we don’t give them those reactions because we know it’s coming.” 

On Tuesday, they will attend their last festival in Post. 

“Festivals are really important because we get feedback from somebody that is an experienced theatre professional,” Furr mentioned. “They are all very knowledgeable people and we need that experience, too.” 

The school performance will take place on Wednesday at about 2:00 during the tutorial period. Any parents or community members are also welcome to attend.  

“The Monday community performance and the Wednesday school performance will allow us to practice in front of an audience,” Gill said. “Which will in turn help us to prepare for the district contest on Thursday.” 

The district one act play contest will happen on Thursday the 3rd in Sudan. The performances are on a rolling schedule, but they are set to perform around 2:30. If there are people interested in watching, it would be best to arrive at 2:00, just in case. 

“It’s my last district contest ever, and I’m getting a little sad about it,” Jones added. “Realizing all the things I’ll be leaving behind is sad, but I know that all of this is preparing me for the real world.” 

Gill has mixed emotions for the upcoming week but knows that the cast has been hard at work for the last few months.

“It’s a very exciting time but also makes me somewhat nervous about the whole ordeal,” Gill proclaimed. “We have been working as hard as possible for us to gain as much confidence for our next competition.”