by Kayla Sheldon on 2014-11-12
Last week Valley View High School held a classic play production called “Our Town,” originally written by Thornton Wilder in 1938.
The play ran from Wednesday through Friday, beginning at 6 p.m. each night.
The play consisted of three different acts, with a seven-minute intermission between each act.
“This is one of the most popular plays for any school to do... it really gets to the point that everyone needs to stop and take a breath, and pay attention to appreciate everything that they have in life because you never know when all that may disappear,” Valley View High School's theater teacher, Jeanine Lopez, said.
The play is based on a society before television, cell phones, and technology as a whole. Its purpose is to showcase the enjoyment in life even without having the advanced technology available today.
"We [the theater program] wanted it to be simple, so our students can still put on a great show without a big set and a lot of props," Lopez said.
Not only did the Valley View theater students display their talents to community members and classmates. Judges from Area 2 of the California Educational Theater Association also attended to judge these talented Moreno Valley students.
“We chose this one because we're competing in a competition. The play is being judged and we wanted to show how the students can take something that is pretty old and make it relevant to today as well as showcase their ability to act because there is not a lot of props or much of a set to work with,” Lopez explained. “That is the point of the play. It is very limited to props, and we did that on purpose so their talent must really shine through.”
Lopez also explained that if they place first in the competition, the entire show will get to perform before 2,000 theater students from all around California in January. A second or third-place finish will qualify them to stage only a portion of their presentation there. For example, only Act I would be able to go as opposed to all three acts.
Lopez added, “All of the students in this show are part of my advanced group… I believe they’ll do great. They’re all very talented and passionate... many of them are very serious about making acting their future profession.”
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Competition has a way of bringing out the best effort in most people; Valley View High School Theater students are no different. And competition will be in the back of the actors’ minds as they stage their production of the Thornton Wilder classic, “Our Town,” Nov. 5, 6 and 7.
The show will be judged for Area 2 of the California Educational Theater Association. If the show places first, then the whole show will be remounted on Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend at Fullerton and performed before 2,000 theater students from around the state. A second- or third-place finish will qualify them to stage a part of their show there.
Valley View Theater teacher Jeanine Lopez said that as the theater program has begun entering competitions, the quality of student work has also improved. Twenty-two of her students participated in the Drama Teacher Association of Southern California (DTASC) Division Festival on Oct. 25 at Temecula. It was the first time for Valley View at DTASC and the first time thestudents participated in anydrama competition. The fact that they came away with a few recognitions has only fueled their desire to improve their skills.
“Participating in competitions and shows helps my students recognize their potential for success and improve their confidence,” said Lopez. “When other students see this happen to their peers they want to participate and this has helped my program grow.”
Lopez she also hopes to enter her students in next spring’s DTASC Shakespeare Festival competition, made famous by the 2011 documentary, “Shakespeare High.”
“Entertainment is the second-largest industry in California,” said Lopez, “and all I’m doing is making sure our students have the information and the confidence they need to be a part of it.”
“Our Town” runs Nov. 5, 6 and 7 at 6 p.m. at Valley View High School. Pre-sale tickets are $3 and $4; tickets at the door are $5. The general public is cordially invited.
ABOUT MVUSD: Moreno Valley Unified School District is the third-largest school district in Riverside County, educating more than 34,000 students in grades TK-12 at 40 schools. Our graduation rate exceeds both the state and national averages.