Several months had passed since the HHS One Act won the VHSL AA State championship.  Naturally it came as a surprise to the cast when they were told they would be staging an encore performance of the show on April 21, over 4 months since their state victory.

“We were invited by Valley Arts to put on an encore performance after winning states. It was an honor to perform again,” co-director Phil Saunders said.

The play took place at downtown’s Court Square Theater, one of the central venues in Harrisonburg. Not only was it a chance for those who had missed the first performance to view the show, but the event also served as a fundraiser to buy commemorative rings for the cast and crew.

Senior Samantha Heitsch, who plays the part of the elephant trainer, was impressed by how easily they were able to pick up from where they had left off. Only one rehearsal took place, on Friday the 19th, two days before the performance.

“I was surprised by how well it went on Friday, our first rehearsal in months. Almost everyone remembered each inflection and nuance of their lines. Even the freezes, the blocking and everything in between. I guess it had sort of become a muscle memory for us,” Heitsch said.

Heitsch will not be at HHS to perform in next year’s one act, along with many other seniors in the cast. However, she was pleased to have been able to return.

“Getting back together was surreal; it felt like we were back to the beginning of the year, but it was nice. One Act has always been one of my favorite parts of the year, and I really enjoyed performing it one last time for the community,” Heitsch said.

The One Act won’t return until next year, but the members of the cast that haven’t yet graduated are keen on creating a performance of the same standard.

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