Albert Lea High School actors ready for One-Act competition
Published 12:35 pm Friday, January 31, 2014
Sam Ehrhardt, right, plays George Holly who hopes to collect a large inheritance by keeping Catherine quiet. –Tiffany Krupke/Albert Lea Tribune
By Tiffany Krupke
tiffany.krupke@albertleatribune.com
Albert Lea High School students are hoping the play “Suddenly Last Summer” will take them all the way to state.
During an open dress rehearsal at the school Thursday night, the cast rehearsed the plot-twisting mystery in front of a small crowd.
“It has been a lot of fun,” said senior Emma Behling, who stars as Catherine. “I definitely think we have a shot to advance.”
“Suddenly Last Summer” is her fourth one-act play. She described the experience of starring as rewarding.
The actors have been preparing for the play since before winter break.
Emma Behling, right, stars as Catherine in “Suddenly Last Summer.” Hanna Kingstrom plays Sister Felicity, who watches over Catherine.
The plot of the play focuses on a young woman’s witnessing of the gruesome death of her cousin. Her aunt has the young woman placed in a mental institution and is willing to have a doctor perform a lobotomy to ensure the woman’s silence. In addition, there are two relatives who are want to keep her quiet so they can inherit a large amount of cash. Eventually the young woman comes clean in a tell-all monologue, much to the dismay of her relatives.
The cast includes senior Julia Otten as Mrs. Holly; juniors Solveig Lange as Mrs. Venable, Zane Aumich as the doctor, Hanna Kingstrom as Sister Felicity and Isabel Ehrhardt as Miss Foxhill; and freshman Sam Ehrhardt rounds out the cast as George Holly. Senior Morgan Haney is student director.
John Fure is the set designer and technical director, and Lilah Aas is the director.
In One-Act play competitions, groups are judged on the length of the play (not to exceed 35 minutes), acting, blocking and use of stage, and pacing.
Six rehearsals were canceled due to snow, according to Aas. Still, she remains optimistic that the cast will advance.
“This cast has been a delight. They are probably the most directable cast I have ever had,” Aas said. “When I give them direction, they get it right away.”
One act cast members rehearsed “Suddenly Last Summer” during an open dress rehearsal at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30.
Albert Lea High School hosts the South Subsection competition today. Competing are Albert Lea, Kasson-Mantorville, Prior Lake-Savage and Winona. Two schools will advance to the Section IAA finals on Feb. 6 at Eastview High School.
The performance order is 4 p.m. Albert Lea, 4:50 p.m. Winona, 6 p.m. Prior Lake-Savage, and 6:50 p.m. Kasson-Mantorville.
