MLHS’ one-act play takes sub-section, heads to section on Saturday
The one-act play from Mountain Lake Public High School (MLHS) that shines the spotlight on the sub-sets of the homeless and their stories was named the Sub-Section 9A One-Act Play Festival first-place production following all-day competition on Saturday, January 31, at Springfield Public High School.
* The play is being opened to the community this Thursday night, February 5, at approximately 7 p.m., in the school’s auditorium.
The play advances to Redwood Valley High School in Redwood Falls on Saturday, February 7, to compete in the Section 3A contest. The trio of judges rated the play a 1-2-1 in competition. Also representing the sub-section in Redwood Falls on Saturday will be the second-place play from Jackson County Central Public High School. Their placing by the three judges was 3-3-2. The MLHS play will be the first performance on the day.
Additional plays were presented by Springfield Public High School (2-4-3), Martin County West Public High School (5-1-5), Sleepy Eye Public High School (4-5-4), Butterfield-Odin Public High School (5-5-5) and Wabasso Public High School (5-5-5).
Comments by the judges included:
Kim Wroge wrote: “Wow! That’s my first impression! The use of space – all of the space – is GREAT! Lights – very good! Characters are solid! Sadly this is very real! Sound – very appropriat e- it compliments and does not overpower. Thank you for choosing this play and sharing it with us! Team – your delivery is not overshadowed by your set! It all flows together beautifully! Great Job!”
From Melanie Schmidt: ” Background music – works well with opening monologue. Wow! You set the scene with your set pieces. Gino – I like how you come right up and speak directly to us. You use the stage and the theater space well. Nice unison lines – well timed. Your voices project well. Nice! You get up close with audience very engaging. I like it. You speak right to us. Nice costumes,details, fire, litter, shopping carts. The cast’s use of dramatic pauses in this show is effective. Good show of despair and sadness – not only vocally but also in mannerisms, postures, non-verbals. You use lighting well. Your crew is doing a good job. The dialogue ‘tween characters is natural. Pacing of the dialogue is comfortable and realistic. Great acting and a great message. As actors, you tell the story of poverty well. You sound sincere and believable, It is as if we are all there with you, good job!”
Posted by Kris Besel: “What a great opening stage picture! Great ensemble! Wonderful job of working as a cast together. You blended into each others’ stories. You all used the stage (and auditorium) space to its max! The background music was the best. Work on enunciation. Nice transitions from scene-to-scene. They were seamless and flowed so smoothly that the audience hardly knew where you were taking them. The physicality by the actors was great! Wonderful ‘down-and-out’ portrayals. The technical aspects were well done. All parts of the stage were utilized and well lit. Powerful play and you did it so well! ”
“Blues” is an ensemble play about the lives of the homeless and less fortunate, written by Jerome McDonough. The production looks into the questions: Where do they (homeless) come from? Did they once have homes, like you and me? Have you ever thought what stands between you and life under a bridge in a cardboard box? Will you ever be one of them? It could never happen to you . . . could it?
The play takes place in a vacant lot, where street people sometimes gather. In the play, audiences are given the opportunity to glance into the lives of people living in the streets, including the man who robbed a store to be able to feed his family – and the child who ran away – among others.
“Blues” has been described as a “Handbook for the Future Homeless” – with people who have nowhere to go at bedtime showing what to do when you become homeless. These homeless include the long-term homeless, military veterans, the mentally ill, runaway and tossed-away teens, the newly hard-hit (and long-term) unemployed, single mothers (or fathers) and their children and immigrants.
The State One-Act Play Festival will be held Thursday, February 12 with Class A performances and Friday, February 13 with Class AA plays, in The O’Shaughnessy on the campus of the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul. The representative of Section 3A will take to the stage to earn a “starred” rating at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, February 12, the seventh of eight plays to be presented on the day.
Directors for “Blues”
Julie Brugman and Crystal Fast
Cast of “Blues”
Gino – Ben Grev
Tonya, Sharyn, Eleana – Lydia Hildebrandt
Father, Unemployment #2, Chano – Caleb Rempel
Dee,Unemployment #1, Lynne – Olivia Hopwood
Aggie, Social Worker, Juanita – Carmen Syverson
Ice, Hap – Ethan Karschnik
Nate, Ben, Zach – Sam Grev
Quinn, Ynez – Liana Blomgren
Evangelical Woman – Kenna Gardiner
Knife Woman – Brook Sunderman
Mark – Regan Syverson
Chip – Eli Karschnik
Homeless Person – Issac Grev
Crew for “Blues”
Lights – Jareya Harder
Sound – Eric-John Niss de Jesus