The cast and crew of the original one-act, “That Was Then”, have already shared a number of successes, and this weekend they are hoping for yet another.

The team recently returned from the Virginia Theatre Association conference in Norfolk, Virginia where they competed against 55 other schools. “That Was Then” received two perfect judge’s scores, a Best Musical award, a Recognition of Student & Teacher Collaboration award and an All Star Cast acting award (given to senior Ben Hollenbeck). It was first place overall in the competition, making HHS history as the first show to do so.

They are advancing to the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Lexington, Kentucky in March of 2017, where they will be competing in the largest regional theatre competition in the country as representatives of the state of Virginia.

“Winning VTA was the best feeling in the world. I’ve been competing for four years, so to finally win my senior year was just incredible, especially since it was a show I helped write. I think I’ll still be in shock for the next six months,” four-year cast member and co-writer of the play Eleanor Alger said of the experience.

On Nov. 5, the team competed on the VHSL level, finishing in first place at the district competition at Woodgrove High School. They competed against John Handley, Woodgrove and Sherando.

“[The show] does so well because it’s a sucker punch to the gut for emotions. Since Betty Jo is onstage for the majority of the show, the audience literally grows up with her, watching her entire life pass before their eyes. For 35 minutes, you see every important event in her life, how they change her and the outcome of it all. There is no buildup, no climax, no resolution to a conflict. There’s a person’s life. That’s all it needs to be,” senior Ben Hollenbeck said.

The cast has worked every day from 2:35 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., rehearsing and tightening their performance. The show is unprecedented in nature, as both original shows and musicals are not usually successful in competition, which means rehearsal is even more important.

“The show was being written as it was being rehearsed, which added a lot of pressure on everyone involved. There were a ton of script changes and additions, and the cast handled it really well, just rolling with whatever was handed to them that day. We all hit roadblocks. I was terrified to write this show… we’re dealing with some pretty serious themes: abuse and violence and trauma, so it’s taken a lot to get the cast there emotionally. We did all find that in ourselves, and I think that’s a huge win by itself,” Alger said.

In order to carry out a state-winning performance, the actors had to get in touch with the play. Sophomore Julia Inouye felt that she associates some of her struggles with that of the character, and it helps her to become involved at a deeper level with the one-act show.

“[I connect with] the fact that the main character overcomes trials through the help of loved ones. I think a lot of people can connect to that. They can feel the emotions portrayed in the show even though they might not have been through the same experiences,” Inouye said.

The cast and crew were unsure going into competition how the audience would react to the violent, dark content presented in the show, but the response has been overwhelming for everyone involved.

“You hear people crying in the audience and you’re like, ‘I’m doing that, oh my God.’ The cast is so invested in what’s happening. We’re all crying and living in that moment. It feels so real and that emotional connection is obvious to everyone watching,” Alger said.

Senior Ben Hollenbeck plays Junior Jordan in the show, Betty Jo’s abusive, alcoholic father. He is emotionally riveted with each scene in the play, and every moment performing aids his ability to get into character.

“To be honest, I used to get a little shaken after my last scene. After our first live performance, I had a pretty rough time. Playing onstage requires you to be so open with yourself for the audience and your scene partners, and I’ve never done that before until this show. It’s terrifying,” Hollenbeck said.

The emotional connection made by the cast and crew is strengthened not only by the story, but the fact that the show is entirely theirs. Everyone in the show has made some kind of contribution to either the script, blocking, characterization, lyrical edits or staging of the show, and this is what they believe makes it powerful.

“Having the show be entirely our own creation makes the whole one-act experience even more special. When we do well, it makes me even more proud of my cast,” Inouye said.

The cast and crew of “That Was Then” will be advancing to regionals tomorrow, Nov. 19 at Charlottesville High School. They will be competing against 9 other schools for a place at the state competition on Dec. 5.

RESULTS:

On Nov. 19 at Charlottesville High School, the cast and crew of the one act “That Was Then” placed first at the regional level against 9 other schools. They received judge’s scores of 98, 99, and 100 out of 100 and will be advancing to states with Jefferson Forest High School.  States will take place on December 5 at Monticello High School in Charlottesville.