The BHS One Act play, The Amish Project, is headed to the State Festival after taking first place at Sections on Saturday at St. Michael High School. They earned top scores from all three judges.
“Right before they announced who won, I turned to Senior Liza Davis and said, ‘I’m going to cry either way, win or lose.’,” said Senior Kaelie Lund. “They announced Second Place and my lip started to quiver. They announced First and I put my head in my hands and burst into tears while my castmates around me screamed and cheered. Then the entire PAC of students from the other shows stood up and gave us a standing ovation. I’ve never seen that before, ever.”
The One Act cast members have been rehearsing for just under two months. They practice everyday after school from 2:30 to 5:00 pm, as well as an occasional late night rehearsal until 9:00 pm.
“What people don’t understand about One Act is that we’re competitive,” said Lund.
Before a performance, Lund separates herself from the rest of the cast and “gets in the zone” by visualizing herself in front of a large crowd, shooting a basketball into a hoop. Each cast member has their own way of preparing for what takes place on stage.
“It’s extremely stressful beforehand, but then you see that everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing and you know it’s going to be good,” said Lund.
The State Festival will be held Thursday and Friday at St. Catherine’s University. The Amish Project will perform at 1:30 pm on Friday.
