Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night, if you walk through the commons at Yutan High School, you’ll see a small group of students running lines and acting out scenes. This is Yutan’s one act play practicing for the season ahead.
“The students who are there are working hard,” said one act director Matt Gunter, who is in his third year as director.
This season, the students will be performing a play called “Exit” by Ron Dune.
“It is about five characters who wake up on a strange stage, and as the play goes on, they find out who they are, what they have in common [and] what are they doing there,” said Gunter.
This play offers the students an opportunity to explore their acting abilities with different characters.
“I am very excited about the play because I play a character who has a mindset of her own but also has to portray these characteristics that the people around her have,” said sophomore Lexi Bisaillon, who plays the part of Bonnie.
Pretending to be a different character can be difficult, so actors are putting in lots of work to reach their goals.
“Our goal this year is, like every other year, to get a superior rating for every competition we do,” said Gunter. “Our goal for districts is to win districts and go to state.”
Last fall, the actors got 7th place at the conference competition, and the year prior they got 10th place. These previous placings have helped set their goals for this year.
“For NCC, we would like to get seventh place or better,” said Gunter. “Our biggest goal is just to get better and better every year.”
Gunter has picked specific goals for the actors to help them improve.
“The main thing he wants us to work on is characterization by staying in character at all times,” said Bisaillon.
The actors are trying to get as much practice in as they can before they start competing.
“Our season is only four weeks…we practice for three months,” said Gunter.
The actors practice three days a week from 6:30-8:00 p.m., which can be challenging for students that participate in other activities, but they make it work.
“The students that aren’t there due to volleyball or other sports or other activities, they have their lines ready to go when they come to practice and they do an excellent job,” said Gunter.
Students are expecting competitions to look a little bit different this year, due to an NSAA rule change, with the odds in their favor.
Bisaillon said that in the past they’ve been judged on equal parts acting, set and costumes, but this year the judging will be more heavily acting-based.
“It gives small schools like us more of a chance when we can’t afford a set or costumes,” said Bisaillon.
Overall, there are high hopes for this one act season.
“We are just getting so far, and I know we’re going to do good at competition and I’m very proud of everybody,” said Bisaillon.
