Nick Evans (left to right), Brittany Pizzey and Alex May in a WHS Senior Drama performance (Gazette photo by Wayne Shiels)

Warman High School Senior Drama came away with numerous awards for their production, Willa Wonkie & the College Tour (Chocolate Not Included)..

The group performed at the  Region 8 Drama Festival in North Battleford’s Dekker Centre for Performing Arts on April 2.

Their achievements included:

Cheer Award – Alex Morrison

Technical Certificate of Merit – Carlee Ferderer, Jenna Dyck, and Emily Kraushar

Runner-up to Best Stage Manager – Lara Walter

Bob Hignett Technical Performance Award – Alex Morrison

Runner-up to the Mary Ellen Burgess Award for Acting – Carson Fehr

Mary Ellen Burgess Award for Acting – Maia Macatangay

Best Technical Production (this award focuses on lighting and sound)

Best Visual Production (this award focuses on the sets and costumes)

Best Overall Production (for all acting and technical elements)

(Gazette photo by Wayne Shiels)

Winning Best Overall Production means that Warman High group will be headed to the Provincial Festival in Regina on May 5-7 where theywill compete at the Riddell Centre against eleven other plays.

In a normal year, only the Best Overall Production from each of the twelve regions would go to Regina, but this year there are only six regions having festivals, so they are sending the runners up as well.

For a drama festival, the students are required to set-up, perform, and take-down or “strike” a one-act play. They are allowed up to ten minutes for set-up, sixty minutes to perform, and five minutes to strike.

Each play has a 90-minute technical rehearsal prior to the performance, and during this rehearsal the students need to figure out how to adapt their performance to a new stage with new technical equipment.

The lighting and sound crew need to familiarize themselves with the lighting and sound equipment, learn how to use the rigging and change the lighting gels to achieve the lighting effects they want, and learn to aim the lights to properly light their play.

The actors need to run briefly through their scenes to work out any challenges that might arise by performing in a different space, often on a stage that is larger or smaller than the one they are used to.

The stage crew will use this time to spike the stage, which helps the backstage crew determine where to move or put set pieces during the show. All of these different elements must come together to make a great production, and this entire rehearsal is run by the Stage Manager, who is one of the students.

(Gazette photo by Wayne Shiels)

Before and after the show, the entire set and anything else that is needed for performance (except the costumes being worn as students enter the stage area) is kept in a 10’x10’ square somewhere near the stage. The students move the set, props, and other items from this square to the stage and set it up during the initial ten-minute set-up time.

During the five-minute strike time, students must move everything from the stage, back into the 10’x10’ square. The strike ends with the stage manager sweeping the stage.

Each of these timeframes are carefully timed by the backstage adjudicator and going over your time results in penalties.

During the show, there is a Front of House Adjudicator who watches the show and provides feedback on your performance, from acting, to set changes, to audio and sound effects. There is also a Backstage Adjudicator who watches the show from backstage and does all of the timing. Besides the technical aspects of the backstage area, they also provide feedback on safety, teamwork, and how well the cast and crew manage the props and sets backstage.

At all stages of festival, it is encouraged for the stage manager to lead as much of the group as possible.

During the technical rehearsal the directors can be present and can assist the students, but during the show itself, all teachers and directors must remain in the audience and the entire set-up, performance, and strike are run by the stage manager and other students.

In preparation for the competition the group perfomed before appreciative audiences at the Warman High School Gym on Monday, March 28 and Tuesday, March 29.