OHS One-Act Play bound for Bi-District

Olney High School’s One-Act Play beat four other schools to advance to the bi-district competition after a second-place finish at the district competition in Seymour Wednesday, March 9, with the drama “Mrs. Packard.” Along with success as a team, individual members also won multiple awards, including Brie Hagle - Best Performer, Adelade Edgington – All-Star Cast, Natalie Del-Villar - Honorable Mention All-Star Cast, and Ellie Henson - Best Stage Manager.

The 20-member team will perform the 45-minute play March 23 at Haskell Auditorium in a performance that is open to the public.

Director Cassie Johnson said,” These [children] are more than capable of making it to state. It’s just a matter of going out there and giving it their all.”

One of the male leads, Rodolfo Arce, said, “I was very nervous going into the day of the performance, but Mrs. Johnson is such a wonderful director that she helped, along with the rest of the ensemble, to calm my nerves and I think I did all the better because of it.”

“The challenges aren’t just putting on a good performance, but include optimizing the sets, sounds and lighting in different venues,” said sound technician Allie Barrington.

“Getting into character has also been a big challenge for Olney, but as a sound technician, I’ve seen how much these kids have grown since the start of the year, and I’m very excited to see what happens Wednesday.”

“Mrs. Packard” is based on a true story about writer Elizabeth Parsons Ware Packard, who is persecuted and spends time in a mental hospital for religious beliefs that differ from her husband’s.

If they earn a podium finish at Wednesday’s performance, they will advance to regionals.