by Conner Sura
Some Sartell High School students’ hearts are racing with anticipation because they are hoping their performance of a one-act play will be showcased in state competition Feb. 8 and 9 at St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul.
Sartell-St Stephen students, along with their director, Kelli Killmer of Sartell, must keep the title of the play and its storyline a secret. The reason for that is to prevent potential bias by one-act play judges. Thus, they are not allowed to know which schools are performing in competition.
On Jan. 23, the students gave a free performance of the play at Sartell High School.
Killmer described the 90-minute play as being family-friendly, lighthearted and a heartwarming story. The cast is an ensemble of 20 students, plus crew members. Most of the cast is comprised of seniors and freshmen and a few sophomores.
Killmer said the show is very different from last year’s play, “The Girl in the White Pinafore,” written by Jiggs Burgess. That play was based on a tragedy that happened on March 18, 1937 – the explosion at a school in New London, Texas.
Unlike that play, this year’s play is not based on a true story but rather on a children’s novel.
Last year, in the one-act play competition, Sartell took first in the subsections and second place in the sections.
Will they accomplish that feat again this year?
“I tend to not get my hopes up about it because I don’t like to be disappointed,” Killmer said. “But the thing that we all look forward to at competition is seeing all of the other schools’ performances, meeting them and creating community with that.”
Killmer said that why they so enjoy a one-act play is that it’s not about competition for them, that it’s exciting to be a part of the one-act play, whether they advance in competition or not.
Killmer has a long history with Sartell High School. She graduated from it in 1999 before coming back in 2010 as the school’s music director. Then, in 2015 she took over as the school’s theater director. During her 14 years as the school’s music-and-theater director, Killmer earned prestige among her colleagues and students. Sartell senior Ellena Ashby of Sartell said Killmer had been an inspiration and role model to her ever since she started in theater. She (Killmer) has enriched Ashby’s theater experience, and it wouldn’t be the same without her because she truly made it special, Ashby said.
Though shrouded in secrecy, the one-act play’s cast and director Killmer exude confidence and excitement about presenting their show to the judges. Senior Lindsey Nelson of Sartell was asked about the play.
“This one-act is specifically set apart because of that collaborative group effort,” she said. “Everyone’s contribution matters equally. You bond and get to know all the crew, and I think this show is different because there are so many new people I’ve had the chance to meet. It’s refreshing to work with different people instead of the same ones I’ve known my whole career.”
The cast members of the new Sartell High School’s one-act play are (front row, left to right) Kenna Ohlenkamp, Mallory Thueringer, Aryka VanVickle; (middle row) Renee Wilson, Sereen Dodin, Kate Fergen, Hannah Rivard, Lindsey Nelson, Ellena Ashby; (back row) Alix Knudson, Emmerson Hewett, Lucy Conda, Amariyah Wright, Jack Hill, Elliott Hammer, Wyatt Oxton, Kaia Rieder, Kelse Orjansen. Not pictured are Greta Kiergaard and Elliot Piel.
