Theater-goers are in for a real treat this Friday, March 10, at Westfield High. That's when student thespians will present a trio of 30-minute, one-act plays, at 8 p.m., in the school theater.
THE PLAY bill includes "Cowboys #2," which Westfield performed last weekend in state competition; "Window on Williams," a collection of various works by Tennessee Williams; and "The Tempest," a shortened version of the Shakespeare classic which Westfield performed Monday at the Folger Festival in Washington, D.C.
Tickets are $5, and all the proceeds will go to the school Band Boosters toward the Laura McBride Memorial Music Scholarship. The scholarship will be given to a music student in honor of former Westfield Band Director McBride, who died Jan. 2 of breast cancer at age 48.
As for the VHSL One-Act Play Festival, last Saturday, March 4, in Charlottesville, Westfield finished fifth — but that was still fifth out of the original 125 schools competing statewide. And Westfield also came home with two of the top awards for acting.
"They only give out six acting awards to the 100-some students participating," said Westfield Theater Director Scott Pafumi. "And Brian Randall and Branson Reese each received one."
In this play about American mortality and man vs. nature and himself,
seniors Randall, 18, and Reese, 17, portray brothers who have to help each other survive on the open range. Said Pafumi: "Some of the judges wrote that they didn't 'get' the play, but were impressed by the acting."
BESIDES winning acting awards for these roles at the Virginia Theater Association competition in the fall, Reese also received acting awards at regional and state level, and Randall received them at districts, regionals and states.
"We, literally, have four trophies for this piece," said Pafumi. "With a tiny, four-person cast, this play has won more awards than any of our other plays at Westfield."
<tgl> — Bonnie Hobbs