If you like high school drama, then you’ll want to be at Bow High School this weekend.
And by drama, we mean the kind that takes place with actors and actresses on a stage – not the kind that can happen within the walls of a school that houses teenagers.
Beginning Friday, Bow will play host to the two-day New Hampshire Educational Theatre Guild’s annual state festival. The top two schools will then move on to the New England festival, which will be held at Gilford High School April 26-28.
“People are more than welcome to come watch,” said Sarah Evans, choral and theatre director at Bow.
Not only is Bow hosting the best drama clubs in the state (at least according to the judging at the four regional festivals), but it’s also one of the 11 groups that will perform during the course of the weekend.
“Our students are really excited to host,” Evans said. “And (the state festival) is very student led and student directed.”
Bow will perform Common Ground, a series of vignettes featuring different types of relationships set in a coffee shop. There are scenes of friendships ending, friendships beginning, sibling rivalries and more.
Once Bow had been slated to host the state festival, it was always the students’ goal to also perform on their home stage. And after taking one of the top two spots at the first regional held in early March at Concord High School, that goal was achieved.
And the other school to advance to states that day? Concord High.
After a brilliant performance of Nora’s Lost, Concord is making its second trip to states in the last three years (and actually its second in a row, since it only competes every other year). Two years ago, Concord was runner-up at states and went on to New Englands – where director Clint Klose first saw the show they will perform.
Nora’s Lost is the story of a woman named Nora Blodget who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and one cold night follows the vision of her late husband into the woods. Along her journey that night, Nora’s life flashes before her, revealing the intricacies of her past.
To qualify for the NHETG festival series, clubs must perform a show that is less than 40 minutes long. Joining Concord and Bow will be drama clubs from Granite State Arts Academy (Everyman), Kingswood Regional High School (Silent Movie), Salem High School (Commedia!), Coe-Brown Northwood Academy (Spoon River), The Founders Academy (The Entire American Revolution in 40 Minutes), Kearsarge Regional High School (The Bells of Charlemont), Hollis-Brookline High School (Buried Child), Laconia High School (Take Five) and Sanborn Regional High School (Women and War).
“We’ve already had schools come and visit to see the space and get a feel for it,” Evans said.
The shows begin at 3:30 p.m. on Friday with four performances, and the remaining seven will kick off Saturday morning. Concord will perform at 7:45 p.m. on Friday, while Bow takes the stage first on Saturday at 8:35 a.m.
Each school will have about an hourlong time slot – 40 minutes for the performance along with a 10- to 15-minute talk back with the adjudicators.
“They speak to the students, but the audience is welcome to listen in,” Evans said.
Tickets are $5 for a block (which typically includes two performances), $10 for Friday, $15 for Saturday and $20 for the weekend, and available at the school. And just be aware that once a performance begins, doors will remain shut until it’s over, so get there early.
For a complete list of performance times and more info, visit sites.google.com/ view/new-nhetg.
