One Act Play students traveled to Lufkin to perform for their district competition on March 27 and 28. After a setback with an injured student, the company rallied and will advance to bi-district in Longview on April 8th and 9th.

“This play is the most difficult play I’ve ever tried to direct,” theater teacher Amanda Murray said. “But it’s been awesome to see new kids who’ve never acted before become some of my best actors and to see them start to really understand the story and have those lightbulb moments.”

The one-act play this year is titled The Mill on the Floss, and the main character is a young girl named Maggie who feels oppressed by those around her. The play tells the story of Maggie by separating her life into three different stages and showing her struggles with love and being controlled.

“Her [Maggie’s] mother wants to shape her to be this perfect girl, and her father doesn’t believe she should have an education,” junior Amanda Edwards said. “The gist of the story is that her father is losing the mill that they live on, and to go along with that, Maggie’s also having these issues with love.”

The cast of The Mill on the Floss typically rehearses three days a week, but in the week leading up to contest, they’ve been rehearsing every day. Rehearsals typically last until 4:30 or 5:30 p.m., but when the big competition is right around the corner, they can often last until 9 p.m.

“The rehearsals are fun because I’m able to spend a lot of time with the cast,” junior Eva Russell said. “I love it because we’ve all grown so close to each other that we’re like a family now.”