By Marisa Dawson
The lights are set, the costumes are ready and the cast of Bennington High School’s One Act team is preparing to take the stage for a busy competition season, beginning this Friday with a production that promises plenty of drama.
This year’s production, Sweeney Todd: The String of Pearls, brings a darker, dramatic story to life while giving students the opportunity to showcase their acting abilities and work together across a variety of theatrical elements.
Director Blake Thompson said the team wanted a production that would challenge students while also providing opportunities for a large ensemble. With a strong group of student interest, the show offered an opportunity for performers to stretch their abilities and contribute to a production with plenty of moving pieces.
Preparation has involved much more than learning lines and rehearsing scenes. From set construction and lighting to staging, costumes and transitions, students and volunteers have worked to bring the production together in a way that is both visually engaging and practical for a traveling competition show.
The set itself was an early priority, with the team designing a unique structure that could be incorporated into scene transitions and performances by the transition dancers while still being broken down and transported between competitions. Local parents also stepped in to help build the set, while Thompson and Donna Dahlsten tracked down a key prop, the production’s chair, through Facebook Marketplace.
Throughout rehearsals, Thompson said students have grown in their individual roles, with particular progress from the ensemble performers as they work to create intentional stage pictures and interactions.
“The group feels very confident this year and has worked very hard to have a polished show early in the season,” Thompson said.
The team’s first competition is Friday, Nov. 13, at Peru State College, where Bennington is scheduled to perform at 3:30 p.m. The team will also compete at DC West on Nov. 16, Fremont on Nov. 21, Gretna East on Nov. 23 and the District One Act competition at Lincoln Northwest on Dec. 5.
Before heading into the remainder of its competition schedule, the team will bring the production home for a special public performance next week on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at Bennington High School.
Students will begin getting ready at 6 p.m., with doors opening to the public at 6:30 p.m. The performance begins at 7 p.m. and is open to the community, with a free-will donation accepted at the door.
The production offers an opportunity to see the talent and hard work of local students up close. Thompson said audiences can expect “a traditional story with artistic moments that are unique and dramatic.”
The production does contain adult material and simulated weapons. Community members are encouraged to attend, experience the students’ work and show their support as the team takes the next steps in its competition season.
