The Virginia Theatre Association holds a conference at the Waterside Marriott hotel in Norfolk, Virginia every year, where high schools from around the state compete with their shows, attending workshops and masterclasses with some of the most esteemed names in dance, music and theatre. The HHS Stage Streaks have become prominent members within the local theatre community, as one act director Stan Swartz served as Association president until this year.

Last year, the cast of “The Insanity of Mary Girard” placed fourth out of over 60 schools at VTA and went on to place second in the state in the VHSL league.

“It felt really good [to be finalists] because that was the first time we’d placed at VTA since I’ve been in one act, and I was just overcome with joy,” junior Josh Lucas said.

Lucas, along with five other actors, portrayed figments of Mary Girard’s imagination, the “Furies,” in the play. The group won a collective “Best Actor” award at the district level. In 2014, “The Beggar’s Opera” did not make it to VTA finals, but placed first in the VHSL league on the district, regional and state levels. “Pieces,” the last original show the Stage Streaks have done, was written by Swartz’s daughter Elana in 2013 and placed third in the state.

This year, with an original, student-written musical, the one act cast hopes to do well in competition.

“Maybe I’m delusional, but I’m shooting for the stars. I’m thinking we could win VTA. Of course we’re always hopeful that we’ll win VTA, but you never really know what your competition will be like,” assistant director Susan Comfort said of the show’s chances. Comfort served as assistant director for “The Insanity of Mary Girard” last year, and is still becoming familiar with the conference process.

The one act productions presented at VTA follow a set of guidelines that all schools must adhere to. Each show must be 45 minutes or less (including setup and takedown) and be entirely composed of actors, stage crew and musicians who attend the school they are competing with. This forces the shows to be resourceful with both their set pieces and cast.

Despite the number of schools participating in the one act competition, VTA is not solely a competitive event.

“It’s a mixture of getting to go to plays, auditions and workshops where you can work with actual famous actors who do this for a living, and in those rare moments where you get to chill out, it’s awesome,” senior Ben Hollenbeck said. “[VTA taught me] that acting is about more than knowing about one thing. It’s more than just being an actor and just knowing your lines. It’s living and existing within a space that you can call ‘theatre.’ It’s about understanding that that space is a community and everyone is equal.”

The Stage Streaks will be competing with their one act, “That Was Then” at 2:55 p.m. on Friday, October 28. On Saturday evening, the six finalists will be announced, along with select acting, set, tech, costume and directing awards. The finalists will perform Sunday morning.