The one-act “The Cripple of Inishmann” advanced to districts along with Flower Mound High School’s one-act on Saturday, March 24. The show will compete in district competition with Marcus High School and Plano West on Tuesday, April 3 to determine which play will advance to the region competition.
     “On Saturday and our run on Wednesday, March 21 were worlds better than we could have expected,” junior Julia Bauer said. “I think that it was one of those shows that we put so much work into it, but it didn’t seem to be ‘gelling’ up until that first performance. Then after the first performance we got into the flow of things and it felt really great.”
     One of the rules for the one-act competition includes keeping the show under 40 minutes. During the rehearsals the show had been running close to the 40 minute mark. During the first public run of the show the time was 39:56.
     “Had that been a real contest day our stage manager senior Joe Heike would have shut us down to avoid being disqualified,” Bauer said. “That was a huge thing on my mind on Saturday – getting in time.”
     This was a concern for Bauer because she is one of the last people on the stage before the show ends.
     “I would have to do a lot of on my feet thinking,” Bauer said. “Art told me that as soon as the red light comes on Billy senior Dennis Ryazanov is going to die. So if I saw the red light I needed to get off stage and I’m like ‘what if I’m in the middle of a line? What would I do?’ So that was stressing me out the whole time.”
     However the final time for Saturday’s competition was 37:21.
     Along with advancing, three cast members, Bauer, senior Dennis Ryazanov and junior Cam Wenrich, received the All Star Cast awards, junior Courtney Moreland received Honorable Mention All Star cast, and senior Joe Heike received Outstanding Technician.
     “I feel awesome about winning the award because this is only my second one-act competition,” Bauer said. “I am happy we put on such a great show.”

http://youtu.be/3bqe7zGt9H4