BOURNE — In keeping with the program’s many years of excellence, the Bourne High School Drama Club has earned a spot in the regional round of the Massachusetts High School Drama Festival next weekend after a strong showing at the recent preliminary round.
At the preliminary round, in addition to advancing to regionals, individual BHS students were recognized for the following:
- Technical Excellence in Music Composition – Aspen Langley
- Technical Excellence in Costume Design – Logan Broadway, Elizabeth Black, Sonja Poley, Kendra Mahoney, Noah Baker
- Technical Excellence in Stage Management – Kendra Mahoney, Anne Rapoza, Jaelyn Dohring
- Excellence in Acting – Isabella Palumbo
- Excellence in Acting – Murphy O’Shea
The Massachusetts High School Drama Festival is a competitive program that includes 112 one-act plays produced by member high schools. The competition is typically organized across three levels: preliminary, semi-final and state finals. Student excellence in acting and technical design is recognized at each level.
The Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild made changes to the festival format due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic this year. The preliminary round was held the weekend of March 19 and 20, and schools that advance from that round will compete at the 2022 High School Festival Regionals on the weekend of April 2 and 3. From that round, 14 regional winners will be chosen. There will be no State Finals in 2022, as there typically has been in the past.
As part of the festival, each submission must be under 40 minutes in length and the entirety of the scenery for the production must be assembled by students in under five minutes. Bourne has had the honor of advancing to the state finals many times in the past, winning the festival with “The Children’s Hour” back in 2013.
For this year’s festival, Bourne High School Drama submitted “Silent Sky” by Lauren Gunderson, which is based on true events.
“Student performers, designers and technicians worked tirelessly to earn themselves a win at the March 19 preliminary round. It was great to see many of our Drama members earn special recognition both for acting and for technical/design excellence,” said Director Tristan Burke. “We also renewed the tradition of serving as one of the preliminary round host sites, welcoming both Sturgis Charter Public Schools (East and West), Wareham High School, Nauset Regional High School and Norwell High School to compete with us last weekend. I want to acknowledge the hard work of all the schools that participated and showed off the talents of so many students.”
Bourne High School Drama will be performing “Silent Sky” in the regional round at Franklin High School on Saturday, April 2. The performance is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., and BHS will be competing alongside Brockton High School, The Academy of Notre Dame (Tyngsboro), Hingham High School, Attleboro High School and Franklin High School. Admission is $15 (which is good for any/all performances during the day).
Additionally, there will be a community performance of the show as a send-off to the regional round on Friday, April 1 in the Beth Bourne Auditorium at Bourne High School. The show will start at 7 p.m., with a suggested $5 donation.
About Silent Sky
When Henrietta Leavitt begins work at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s, she isn’t allowed to touch a telescope or express an original idea. Instead, she joins a group of women “computers,” charting the stars for a renowned astronomer who calculates projects in “girl hours” and has no time for the women’s probing theories. As Henrietta, in her free time, attempts to measure the light and distance of stars, she must also take measure of her life on Earth, trying to balance her dedication to science with family obligations and the possibility of love.
The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them. Social progress, like scientific progress, can be hard to see when one is trapped among earthly complications; Henrietta Leavitt and her female peers believe in both, and their dedication changed the way we understand both the heavens and Earth.
Cast and Crew
The cast of Bourne High School Drama’s production of “Silent Sky” includes:
- Henrietta: Bella Palumbo
- Peter: Landry O’Shea
- Margaret: Krista Nee
- Annie: Quinn Hawkes
- Williamina: Murphy O’Shea
Crew members include:
- Stage Management: Anne Rapoza, Kendra Mahoney
- Assistant Stage Management: Jaelyn Dohring
- Lighting Design and Light Board Operator: Moose Hoagland
- Lighting Crew: Riley Higgins, Caroline Lane, Kyleigh Gomes
- Scenic Construction/Design: Connor Ryan, Michael Russo, Grant Savage, Madie Sexton, Grace Russell, Scott Lafleur, Anne Rapoza, Kendra Mahoney, Patrick Kelley
- Scenic Manipulation: Jack Martin, Scott Lafleur, Logan Broadway, Madie Sexton, Gemma Gray, Caroline Lane, Michael Russo
- Telescope Construction: Silas Rauch, Lucas Koosa, Zack Pike
- Costume Design: Liz Black, Logan Broadway, Noah Baker, Sonja Poley, Kendra Mahoney
- Props: Madie Sexton, Grace Russell, Cooper White, Dylan Dupuis, Krista Nee, Jaelyn Dohring
- Hair and Make-Up Design: Rhiannon Bearce, Gemma Gray
- Music Composition: Aspen Langley
- Sound Design and Sound Board Operator: Zoey Cardinal
The show is directed by Tristan Burke, and the technical director is Richard Archer.
Follow the Bourne High School Drama Club on Instagram here.
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