AHS’s One Act team took their Play Production crew to State Competition in Kearney on Friday, December 7, after placing first in the Class B districts competition held the week before on their home turf. This was the fourth year in a row that the AHS One Act crew took their play to State. In 2009, they won first place and runner up in 2010. The next year they returned, receiving third place. Now, once again, they have taken the title of Class B Play Production Champions.
This year’s winning production was a parody based on the well-known story of Ebenezer Scrooge in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Senior Everett Gerth played the lead role of Carter, a greedy modern-day Scrooge who is mistakenly thrown into the journey intended for Ebenezer. He is visited by all of the ghosts who mistakenly took him to the wrong past, present, and future.
Alliance’s One Act team performed first at State, making it even more critical that their play was performed to its highest potential, in order to impress the judges who would go on to view several other plays throughout the day. Other play productions included “Hiding in the Open” performed by Gretna, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” by Milford High School, and “The Attempted Murder of Peggy Sweetwater” by Wayne High School. In the end, though, “I’m not Ebenezer Scrooge” won the hearts of the judges.
The awards ceremony following the performances was very short and to the point. It started with the outstanding actors and actresses awards wherein students were recognized for exemplary acting. Among the outstanding actors and actresses, Alliance High School had many mentioned, but one student stood out. Sophomore Collin Cox earned the title of Overall Outstanding Actor. He accepted the award with surprise, but also with honor and gratitude for getting such great recognition of his acting talents as a sophomore.
After the outstanding actors/actresses awards, the runner-up Play Production crew was announced: Milford with their “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Everyone showed his or her respect, especially since receiving any award at the state level is an honor. When it came to the Champion Play Production, the announcer had barely made it through AHS Director Jill Hoesing’s name before the Alliance attendants were going crazy. The whole cast and crew then rushed up to the stage to receive their award and savor the great feeling of a victory and a happy farewell to their director, Jill Hoesing. This year’s production was the last that she will direct at Alliance High School as she is retiring in May.
Overall, the Alliance One Act team represented Alliance very positively, both on stage and off at State Competition. They brought home a new trophy to accompany the others and left a great impression on the Nebraska acting community.
