East Panhandle Times

The Hedgesville High School Theater Department is set to perform "Return of the Script" by Don Zolidis as part of a competition. The public will have an opportunity to see the play on January 30, ahead of its participation in a regional competition on February 1 at Spring Mills High School.

The play centers around Miss Walters, portrayed by Leila Allen, a high school theater teacher who misplaces a script after a student production. This leads two agents, played by Nathaniel Weber and Aleyah Jackson, on a mission to find her, while she embarks on a journey to Europe in search of the foreign exchange student who inadvertently took the script home.

Initially, the theater department did not plan to enter any competitions this year. Drama teacher Kelli Cooper believed it would be challenging after attending nationals last year and working on other productions. However, students like Kianna Rogers expressed their eagerness for competition, prompting Cooper to take on this new challenge with a comedic performance.

"Comedies can be harder to progress in competitions," Allen remarked. "That doesn’t mean they can’t do well but makes it more of a challenge. Our area tends to send more tragedy shows."

For the young actors, performing comedy presents unique challenges such as allowing humor to arise naturally rather than forcing it. Allen noted that the chemistry among cast members facilitates genuine interactions: “I feel like this group is so organically funny together that it makes me feel like I don’t have to act.”

Theater offers students valuable experiences beyond acting skills, such as time management and public speaking. Weber described theater as feeling like home where everyone can be themselves. Jackson joined during her sophomore year and credits theater with helping her become more outgoing and make friends. Donald Schapley recently joined as part of the marketing team and photographer for the production; he feels welcomed by his peers.

Tickets for the public performance are priced at $5.