Curtain Up: LCHS students head to provincial drama festival
A team of students from Leduc Composite High School is representing Black Gold School Division at the Provincial One-Act Play Festival, taking place May 7 to 9 at the University of Lethbridge.
Ten students are at Provincials, including four performers and six students working in stage management, technical theatre, and other behind-the-scenes roles. The group is representing Alberta High School Drama Festival Association Zone 4E.
LCHS students will be joined at the Provincials by students from École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School, as selected productions from across Alberta gather for the province’s final high school theatre showcase.
The AHSDFA festival system brings together high school productions that first compete at regional festivals. There, one-act plays are evaluated by professional adjudicators.
These plays are typically 15 to 40 minutes in length, with casts ranging from small ensembles of two to four performers to larger groups. Adjudicators provide detailed feedback on performance, direction, design, and technical execution before selecting productions to advance to the Provincials.
According to Drama teacher, Sheena Edginton, just two productions out of 22 submissions advanced from zones to the Provincials. In the past, the zone has sometimes struggled to meet its target of 15 participating plays, but had a larger showing this year..
At the Provincials, students not only perform but also take part in theatre workshops and learning sessions evaluated by industry professionals. These sessions are designed to build skills in acting, technical theatre, and production.
Edginton highlights the transferable expertise gained through theatre. “There are so many skills you get from learning theatre that don’t involve acting,” she says, “including creative problem solving and flexible thinking.”
She also believes the provincial festival is about showing her students what they can do in the working world with their skills. “I hope they can develop a love and appreciation for a possible future career [in theatre],” she says. “I’d love for them to see what opportunities are out there.”
