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Members of Hermleigh High School’s one-act play cast and crew pictured on the front row are (l-r) Matthew Gonzales, Amanda Long, Andres Rodriguez, Gage Robertson and Brishaya Sneed. On the middle row are Justin Wilson, Brittany Martin, Abby Tate, Geronimo Lara, Jonah Ferris and Catherine Clark. On the back row are Jacob Guzman, Colt Mallory, Joseph Long, Aaliyah Sneed, Chase Carr, Eli Garza and Jacob Gilbert.
By Shirley A. Gorman
SDN Features Editor
Members of the Hermleigh High School one-act play cast and crew are preparing this year’s show, The Boys Next Door by Tom Griffin, with practices twice a week.
To prepare for next month’s district contest, Hermleigh will host a Saturday clinic with Renee Buchanan serving as the critic. Hermleigh will be joined by one-act play companies from Jim Ned, Lubbock Estacado, Highland, Andrews and Post high schools.
Director Kelly Richardson said Hermleigh will attend a March 1 clinic in Seminole and a March 11 clinic in Post.
The competition season will begin March 24 with the district contest at Westbrook High School. The bi-district contest will be held April 1 at Borden County High School.
Midland Lee High School will host the area contest on April 9 while the regional contest will be held at Angelo State University with the date to be determined.
The state contest is scheduled for May 23 at the University of Texas, Austin.
The Boys Next Door is a drama about four “intellectually challenged men who live in a group home,” Richardson said. The story focuses on a caseworker who is on the verge of burnout.
“The roles are good for the boys I have who were in one-act play last school year,” she said.
To prepare the cast, Richardson said field trips were made to the Abilene State Supported Living Center and Stanford-Sagebrush Living Center.
Students served lunch at the Stanford facility and played games with the residents.
The cast toured the living areas of the Abilene facility.
“Students were moved by the residents lack of privacy and limited freedom such as not being able to drive,” Richardson said. “I hope this one-act play will serve as a learning experience for the students.”
Cast members are Andres Rodriguez, Eli Garza, Joseph Long, Geronimo Lara, Jacob Guzman, Matthew Gonzales, Abby Tate, Brittany Martin, Jacob Gilbert, Colt Mallory, Gage Robertson, Chase Carr, Amanda Long and Brock Vasquez. Ryleigh Stewart is the alternate.
Crew members are Brishaya Sneed, Aaliyah Sneed, Katherine Clark and Justin Wilson.