Jared St. Martin Brown knew his Bridgeport High School Thespian Troupe had worked up a quality one-act play to perform at the West Virginia State Thespian Festival last weekend at Davis & Elkins College. So he wasn’t surprised when “Lovers of Verona” was named in the top five outstanding performances. But when he learned that the play – featuring 24 student actors, cast and crew members – had been selected to represent West Virginia at the International Thespian Festival, he was pretty shocked.

 

“We won last year so this was a total surprise,” Brown said. “Being selected two years in a row seems impossible – and yet, it happened.”

 

Along with a spot in the June 20 International Thespian Festival at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the BHS Thespian Troupe was awarded a $10,000 grant to fund the trip.

 

“Lovers of Verona” was cast in November of 2015 after it was chosen as this year’s one-act project.

 

“We were feeling the heritage of Clarksburg and wanted to do something a little bit Italian. This play is rooted in the style of theater during the renaissance in Italy,” Brown said. “We also chose it because it requires a big ensemble and we could kind of do some creative storytelling.”

 

Under the direction of Trina Byard – Brown’s sister – the kids worked on the play through mid-February at which time it was performed at the Regional Thespian Festival at Morgantown High School.

 

“That involved several schools from around the region, including three from Harrison County,” Brown said.

 

“Lovers of Verona” was one of six plays performed at regionals and one of three chosen to advance to states.

 

Altogether, 16 one-act plays were performed at state competition.

 

“It’s not a very competitive environment,” Brown said. “It’s an environment of sharing the arts. I don’t think everyone comes there to win. They come there to do their best.”

 

Going in, he knew he had a very strong group and he is certainly proud of his students’ performances.

 

Brown said he had a reason for asking Byard to direct this year.

 

“I feel like the plays turn out better when I have somebody who has a knack for directing and creating stage pictures,” Brown said. “I don’t feel that directing is my strength. I do a lot of visual stuff and basically taught the kids techniques to do. There are very specific movements and I taught them those movements. (Trina) worked with them on walking around and stage placement and we both worked with them on characterization.”

 

Since Byard typically serves as costume designer, his wife Albani St. Brown took over those duties.

 

Performers were Callia Byard, Erica Cottrill, Hannah Cottrill, Derek Hess, Sierra Shreves, Austin Randolph, Noah Hall, Caroline Fulks, Doug Soule, Emily Estanich, Jenna Keefover, Cordell Hutcheson, Tori Bonafield, Kady Hayes, Michaela Hutcheson, Lindsay Malenich, Morgan Willis, Ethan Willis and Vincent Pinti.  The crew includes Niki Dewitt, Jordan Kennedy Rae, Olivia Leadman, and Izzay Hawkinberry.

 

A total of 34 BHS students attended the state festival, where BHS nabbed several other awards during the three-day event which ran March 31 through April 2.

 

Receiving first place in advances playwriting was Douglas Soule, who had submitted his entry in January.

 

“I think he wrote it in creative writing class and revised it a little bit, tailoring it to the rules of the contest,” Brown said. “He had everything looking good by the time I read it and I didn’t have any suggestions for improvements. It was very a moving work of art so we couldn’t wait to send it in. I wasn’t surprised to find out it had won.”

 

In addition to its first place finish, the play was chosen to be performed at the state festival.

 

“It’s a 20-minute play with five or six characters,” Brown said. “A team of kids rehearsed with a group – Arts Link – which judges the plays. Arts Link advisors worked for two and a half days and performed the play on the last day. One of the lead characters in it was a boy from Bridgeport, Sean Rhode.”

 

Bridgeport’s Morgan Willis co-won the logo design contest.   

 

“The theme this year was ‘Earth’s Mightiest Thespians’ so her logo is kind of along the lines of ‘The Avengers,’” Brown said. “Morgan’s logo was featured on the back of the T-shirts, in the guidebook apps and all the name badges. She was very pleased that 600 people were wearing her logo.”

 

Among the festival’s top five musical duets were Bridgeport’s Hannah and Erica Cottrill, as well as Noah Hall and Jenna Keefover. The Cottrill sisters will take their duet on to June’s International Festival, Brown said.

 

Bridgeport’s Niki Dewitt was awarded first place in Costume Construction. That winning costume had been created for the character Wednesday in the BHS All-School Play, “The Adams Family.” Dewitt worked with Byard in designing the costume, Brown said.

 

Taking third place in fantasy makeup was Sierra Shreves, who created her award-winning look for a fox, one of several characters from which entrants could choose.

 

Willis also won second place in the Novice Mask category.

 

“She actually sculpted all the masks for our one-act play and that play featured some of the main characters who were masked stock characters – always traditionally masked,” Brown said. “She entered all the masks in the competition and won first place in regionals and second place at states.”

 

Derek Hess and Sierra Shreves were selected to the All-Festival Cast.

 

 

“The judges choose two of their favorite actors from each play, telling those kids that out of all the actors they are the ones they found very entertaining and memorable for some reason,” Brown said.

 

“Lovers of Verona” was also awarded Best Visual Aesthetics.

 

“They give each play an award for what it does best,” Brown said. “They loved the visuals, the masks, the costumes and set pieces and stylized movements. It was a very nice thing for our play.”

 

In June of 2015, the BHS Thespian Troupe took a one-act play entitled “Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales” to the International Festival. The play was well received and the experience was valuable for the students, Brown said.

 

“There is no judging at the International Festival. It’s a showcase,” he said. ‘By the time you get there with a one-act play, they are the ones that won around the country. I think there are enough room for 25 different plays from throughout the country so it’s nice to get there and see winning shows from Ohio or Texas. It’s a real eye-opener for students and it does broaden their horizons to see other people’s art. Some states are doing amazing things.”