After a long year of competing at different theatre festivals around West Virginia, Wheeling Park’s theatre students are ready to compete at the state competition. Mrs. Redd’s acting class has worked hard throughout the year, and after gaining an Outstanding One-Act Play Award at regionals, the students have earned their spot at the state competition taking place at West Virginia University on March 26-28. By competing throughout the year, the students have learned a learned a lot and are excited to reach the next level.
Sophomore Hailey Hess explains the challenge in competing a live theatre piece at competition, Hailey has also individually qualified by herself with a cosmetic technical project.
“We only have had class time to do it, so getting it all together in the time that we’ve had has been very challenging…I’ve learned to really manage time well and how to create everything in a time limit, and how to handle the differences from competition to the musical or fall play.” says Hess.
Having such a big project, with so little time, this group of park student have worked restlessly to get where they are today.
Treasurer of the Park Players and a junior at Wheeling Park, Landon McKeegan, shares his anticipation for this coming weekend.
“My favorite part is just how different this is from everything we usually do, and it’s so cool to take a show on the road that we made and a classmate wrote… We are all very excited and very happy we qualified for states, we are very excited to kill it” says McKeegan.
Students continue to grind away at the show making it absolutely perfect for possibly their final time competing it.
Acting teacher Mrs. Katie Redd has looked over this project, and is now reflecting on what a rememberable experience it has been.
“I have really loved watching Sydney Willson write and direct the show. I’ve loved seeing her develop as a director and the students really respect and listen to her,I love that Reagan Pockl has taken charge back stage when she’s usually one stage. Supervising in the shop—watching their designs and visions come to life has been really gratifying for me” says Redd.
This has been these students first time competing a one act, but it has also been Mrs. Redd’s first time conducting such an involved project. Everyone has done their part this year to make this show the absolute best that it can be, and now they are in the home stretch.
This has been an exciting year for the theatre students at Wheeling Park High School, and It is exciting to see it all paying off. These students have put in the time, work, and passion into their competition piece, and this opportunity will surely be one to remember. Wish these students luck as they take their final steps toward success.
