TWIN PORTS — It's officially one-act season. Students have been busily preparing to perform 30-minute theater shows to compete against one another to try and make it to the next level of competition.
But not every team is in it for the competition this year. Here's a look at a few of the shows around the Twin Ports and how they're preparing for this year.
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Hermantown drafts own show about disaster
For the third year in a row, Hermantown High School's one-act will be a show written by director Paul Ahlberg.
Ahlberg said writing the show makes it easier to pare down to the 30-minute time limit all one-acts must abide by in competition.
"If you pick a show that's not already that length, you have to make all the cuts and get them approved by the playwrights or production company," Ahlberg said. "This year, and the past two, we've written the show so we can tailor it for our team and get a story that fits the timeline and our cast."
"Hawks Nest" is a show based around the 1931 Hawks Nest Tunnel Disaster in West Virginia. Ahlberg said it was one of the greatest industrial disasters in American history as hundreds of workers who dug through a silica mountain came down with silicosis and died.
Ahlberg said he listened to a podcast about the disaster and dug into the history. He was particularly inspired by "The Book of the Dead," an epic poem written by Muriel Rukeyser that detailed events after the disaster.
"We wanted to create a story that's respectful to the situation and also accurately tells the story," Ahlberg said. "And we're excited to let the public see it and take it to competition."
Before the competition, Hermantown has a free public performance set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, in the Hermantown High School auditorium. A question-and-answer session will follow.
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East tackles Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
Duluth East High School one-act students are also learning about a tragedy in U.S. history: the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which killed 146 people, mostly women and children.
Senior Avery Hoole said taking on the show has helped them learn more about the tragedy and how to tell a large story in just 30 minutes onstage.
"I play a reporter following the story of the Triangle Factory fire and describe what is happening and how the plot advancements affect each other," Hoole said. "Something I learned about while doing this production about the Triangle Factory fire is its impact upon the community and how the tragedy affected advancements in worker safety."
Hoole wasn't the only senior impacted by the show's message and intrigued by the short one-act format. Brayden Miller plays an executive who worsens conditions at the factor before the fire and then a fire chief who helps fight the fire.
"I have learned a lot about the many aspects of storytelling, especially when on a clock," Miller said. "This is also my first show in which my characters have a spoken narrative role, which has been a fun challenge to act. This show is also unique because it threads a needle between narrative and expository writing. This allows the audience to connect with the characters while still being told directly what happened by lines that break the third wall."
East is set to perform the show at 7 p.m. Thursday in the auditorium, with a suggested donation of $5 at the door.
Denfeld focuses on theater elements, less on competition
Denfeld High School one-act director Keely Waechter likes many aspects of the one-act competition. She said she finds the feedback from the judges valuable for the students, appreciates seeing the other shows from the neighboring schools and even likes the constraints of the 30-minute limit and set design portability.
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There's one aspect she doesn't like: the competition.
"How can you lose at art? It just never sat well with me that you work so hard on this production and then lose and have to feel dejected," Waechter said. "So the dream is to get the kids the experience of performing in a competition, but at the end of the day not naming winners or losers — just celebrating aspects of these performances."
Waechter contacted several other theater departments in the area and invited them to join in the debut Twin Ports One-Act Celebration. Joining Denfeld are Cloquet High School, Marshall School and a cast and crew of homeschooled students arranged by Northern Spotlight Theater.
"We're still hiring local evaluators to give the kids feedback so they can grow and learn," Waechter said. "Everyone has their 30- to 35-minute limit, but we're not going to disqualify you if you go 30 seconds over. And I think it's just going to be great for the students to have lunch together, intermingle, play theater games and build connections."
The celebration begins at 2 p.m. Feb. 8 at Marshall School's Fregeau Auditorium and shows will run on the hour until 6 p.m.
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