JUNIOR OLIVIA SHIPSEY, senior Cassie Lambert and senior Tori Murphy in “Look Up” by Morgan Quigg.
On March 6 and 7, more than 80 schools will perform one-act plays across the state for the regional round of the Maine Principals’ Association 2015 One-Act Festival.
The competition, dating back to 1932, gives students the chance to perform one-act plays on a competative level — and for Morse High School, it’s also a chance for one of its students to see a play of their own come to life.
Morse High School is one of only two high schools in Maine to always bring an original student written one act play to the festival — the other is Freeport High School.
Morse High School senior Morgan Quigg was this year’s playwright, with a one-act titled “Look Up.”
“The writer works on the play for an entire year,”said Kevin O’Leary, who teaches Drama and 9th Grade English at Morse High School. “We workshop the play all fall in drama club, audition in January and then begin rehearsal right after that… From soup to nuts, at Morse, it is a year commitment for all involved.”
“Look Up,” follows the story of Avyn, played by senior Cassie Lambert, and Christian, played by senior Paden Stanton. Avyn and Christian are neighbors, friends and confidantes who grapple with the painful, awkward choice of deciding whether or not to take their relationship to the next level. In the midst of this teen angst, Avyn’s parents are both killed in a car crash just hours after the three of them were embroiled in adomestic squabble. Guilt overtakes Avyn. Love seems elusive, and to top it all off, she is about to become a senior in high school.
Lambert and Stanton are joined on stage by 33 other actors and a stage crew of 25. The group needs to work as a well-oiled machine during the competition — because time is of the essence.
“The set up of the set can only last five minutes, up and down, or the school is disqualified,” O’leary explained.
Additionally, he said, “the play can’t be more than 40 minutes or it is disqualified.”
Even with the time constraints and all the hard work, participation in the festival is worth it.
“The best thing about the festival is watching all these kids from all these schools having fun, learning skills, and above all, supporting one another,” O’Leary said.
The world premiere of “Look Up” is at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, at Morse High School. Admission is free. The following Friday, March 6, Morse performs at Lawrence High School at 8 p.m., with a ticket price of $8 — which includes a viewing of two other plays. For more information, contact Morse High School at 443-8250.
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