Each year the theater department presents their annual UIL One Act show.  UIL One Act is a theater competition where Texas schools present a 18-40 minute play. Our theater department has been working this years play The Elephant Man, since the end of the musical Beauty and the Beast.

“The Elephant Man is about a Victorian surgeon that rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak,” senior Justin Alozie said. “Behind his monstrous facade, there is revealed a person of intelligence and sensitivity. My role is John Merrick-or the Elephant Man- who does not have any prosthetics so his disfiguration is physical as the audience has to use imagination to envision his deformity.”

The One Act cast is small compared to any other cast the theater department has had due to the fact that each cast member is picked out carefully. Since the cast is so compact the cast is able to become very close with each other making the experience memorable.

“This is my first time doing One Act and it is very stressful but you really get to know each other and connect with them,” sophomore Regan Gerdes said. “The show that last year’s cast performed was phenomenal and it inspired me to participate this year.”

Many of the cast members have already worked with each other through past shows so doing this production brings them closer and let’s the newer members get to bond with the rest of the cast with this experience.

“One Act is really fun because the cast is fairly small, so we get to know each other really well and have lots of fun,” junior Kezia Dearden said. “There’s a lot to learn from the more experienced and older actors. It’s a great time.”

The UIL cast competed on March 24th but they did not advance to the next round. Despite not advancing, several cast members were awarded for their individual roles including the award of Best Actor to Alozie.

“I did One Act because it is an experience that is so exciting to be a part of,” senior Justin Alozie said. “The people you meet and the memories you share with cast members is something I can never forget. No matter the outcome I always love the bond I am able to share with my cast.”