A cast of traveling circus performers…hoping for a shot at the big time… under the Big Top…
Denver City High School’s latest performance of “J.B.” by Archibald MacLeish earned them a spot in the UIL Region I one-act play contest at Clyde High School on Monday, April 15, making them one of only 24 AAA plays remaining in the state-wide contest and only six in Region I. It is comparable to making it to the regional tournament in volleyball or basketball.
The play, set in the middle of a huge circus tent, is a modern-day re-telling of the Biblical character Job. It recounts the battle of good and evil by God and Satan for the soul of the blameless and upright Job, otherwise known as J.B. The wealthy J.B. and his wife Sarah suffer the losses of their children in a war, a car accident, a brutal attack and an explosion that destroys their empire. In the end, good prevails over evil and their lives and wealth are restored.
Due to the fact that the construction of the new J.W. Jones Performing Arts Center is not completed, Seminole High School has offered their auditorium for a public performance of the DCHS play on Thursday, April 18th at 7:00 p.m. The community is invited and encouraged to travel to Seminole to see this award-winning production. There will not be an admission charge, but donations will be accepted to support the theatre department of Denver City High School.
At the Area contest last week, Denver City placed first ahead of Sonora and Canadian. The alternate play came from Shallowater, who was a state finalist along with Canadian in 2018. Senior Brenevyn Diaz was named to the honorable mention all-star cast for his portrayal of Mr. Zuss/God, while sophomores Sawyer Davis and Karley Moore were selected as the Best Actor and Best Actress. In addition, Senior Jackson Streun was named as the outstanding lighting technician for the contest.
The AAA Region I contest will be hosted by Abilene Christian University on the campus of Clyde High School on Monday, April 15th. The order of performance is: Holliday High School with “Archipelago”; Denver City with “J.B.”; Tuscola: Jim Ned with “A Chemical Imbalance”; Sonora with “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot”; Bangs with “Blood Wedding” and Canadian with “Gint”. A panel of judges will select two plays to advance to the state contest on May 4 in Austin.
Superintendent Gary Davis and counselor Melisa Dorsett took over the direction of the play just after the district contest. They are both optimistic about their chances of advancing to the state contest. “We have an excellent group of kids who are devoted and committed to being successful. I couldn’t be more proud of their ability and desire to overcome adversity”, Davis said.
Among the regional finalist, Jim Ned placed 1st and Denver City placed 3rd at state in 2016; Holliday and Bangs advanced to state in 2017
Public performance scheduled next week
