Lights…Camera…Action! The one-act this year, a touching story entitled "Do Not Go Gentle," had much success. Many people found themselves overcome with tears of joy by the end of the play.

Lilian Barron (played by Ashley Braun) is eighty-four-years-old, vibrant, funny, wise…and recently deceased! During her lifetime Lillian shared a special, long distance bond with her granddaughter Kelly(played by Laura Cameron) and suffered an estrangement form her son Windsor (Nick Nord), a Colonel in the Air Force, as he moved his family from base to base all over the world. After her death Lillian discovers that she cannot "move on" until the rifts are somehow mended. Windsor and Kelly comes from overseas to settle Lillian's affairs and are aghast to discover that the walls of her house have been painted with wild, sometimes humorous, sometimes horrific murals and drawings. Piecing together moments of time and fragmented feelings, Windsor and Kelly make astonishing discoveries about themselves and each other, as they unravel the secrets of the paintings. They also uncover a special relationship between Lillian and a young neighborhood boy (Kevin Ohri), a life-affirming friendship that transcends the boundaries of time, space, and generations. This powerful, poignant play explores the wonder of words and the transformative power of art as it offers humor and hope to anyone who is or has ever been a grandparent, a parent, or a child.

Other cast members included Shannon Holz playing Joanna, Lillian's niece, and Kathryn Fuchser portraying the role of Mildred Flumac, professional estate sale organizer. Emily Dugan and Ashley Braun were student directors.

But one-acts is not just about being on stage. A technical crew is a must! Without the help of a crew, we wouldn't have the essentials - sound effects, music, lighting, or even a set! We'd like to thank Kareena Nichols, sound manager; Falycia Wagenaar, backstage prompter; Christina Reynoldson spotlight operator; Megan Davis and Serenity Butterfield, make-up technicians; Sarah Novak, stage lights; and Rachael Gray and Brooke Lindhorst, stage crew.

The St. Mary's one-act team opened the contest season when members traveled to Stuart for the west division NVC one-act competition. The team earned the runner-up plaque and medals, while Keya Paha took first place. Congratulations were extended to Ashley Braun, who was named the returning best actress of the contest.

The school performance of the play was held on Wednesday, November 21. The district D-1 play contest was in Stuart on Tuesday, November 27. The cast was runner-up to Sargent. Outstanding Individual Performances went to Ashley Braun, Shannon Holz, and Kevin Ohri.

The final curtain: the cast and crew got together one last time to do a public performance on Sunday, December 2nd. A good 50-member audience came out to support the play that night.

The cast nad crew would like to thank Ms. Goettertz and Merri Schneider, our directors, for their hard work and many long hours. Also, Mrs. Cameron lent a big hand by preparing our costumes. These three were important contributors to the production.

For more pictures of the cast and crew, you can find links on the St. Mary's High School webpage: www.esu8.org/~stmarys/school.html.