The one act play cast performed for district competition Wednesday at Canton High School. The team placed 6 out of 7 at the district competition, and did not qualify for the bi-district level. Winning awards included:
Honor Crew – Josh Ortiz and Liana Miller
Honorable Mention All Star Cast – Ashlynn Blankenship
All Star Cast – Jaida Jones
Outstanding Actor – Natalie Seifert
“We have had a lot of success with one act play here at Lindale,” theater director Kari McKenzie said, “We very traditionally go through multiple levels, about five years ago we went to state in one act play and did really well, so we have a really good program here.”
This year’s chosen play for competition is based on the match girl strikes of 1888 in London, England, specifically the story of one of the larger factories, the Bryant and May match company. During this time, there were few rights given to the workers and abuse in the workplace.
“I feel like this story is so powerful and I am so happy that we are able to tell it on stage,” senior Jaida Jones said. “Everyone who is in this cast is incredibly talented and they really know how to bring such a powerful story to life.”
When the strikes began, the owner of Bryant and May was accused of slavery due to how the women and girls who worked for his company were said to be treated. The performance follows how the women and girls went on strike, what they risked in doing so, and how they achieved a better workplace environment in the end.
“I feel good about one act this year,” senior Ashlynn Blankenship said. “I really do think this show is special”.
The play was written by Micheal Ward, a Kilgore Junior College English teacher. He sent McKenzie a copy of the play, and she later chose it for one act competition.
“I have always been a big proponent of women’s rights, and of course I love plays that are historical fictions but really tell the story of something that happened,” McKenzie said. “I was really drawn to this play from the beginning.”
One Act is a single act play performed by a cast of no more than 20 students distributed between actors and technicians. The play is not allowed to go over 40 minutes or else disqualification would occur.
“The students who have been with me for a very long time are doing a really good job, and don’t take a lot of direction to get them where they need to be,” McKenzie said. “The younger ones are learning leaps and bounds of what it is like to be in a drama, and how to really embrace a character from another time period.”
One Act also has rules regarding copyright, as well what plays are allowed to be performed due to their content. Since the play may not supersede 40 minutes, there are also rules regarding what a director is allowed to cut from the performance.
The theater department plans to perform the play for the public after spring break.
“I am excited to perform in one act this year,” sophomore Audrey Yang said. “We’ve all worked really hard to get to where we are, and everyone has been doing really well with their parts.”
