Vermont Drama Council

Essex High School is proud to host the 2019 Vermont State Drama Festival, which celebrates and showcases the 10 of the top high school one-acts in Vermont.

The festival spans 2 days, Friday & Saturday, April 5 & 6. All shows are open to the public, and audiences are encouraged to attend. Don't miss out on seeing the best theatrical work from drama departments across the state!

$5 per show or $30 for all 10 shows. Cash or checks accepted.

FRIDAY APRIL 5

4:45 — Lyndon Institute, Thespis

7:15 — Hazen Union High School, Blithe Spirit

8:15 — Thetford Academy, Who Am I This Time?

9:30 — Rutland High School, Curse You, Jack Dalton!

SATURDAY APRIL 6

9:00 — Spaulding High School, Cage Birds

10:00 — Milton Senior High School, Moby Dick

3:00 — Otter Valley Union School, The Last Firefly

4:00 — Lamoille Union High School, Validation

6:45 — Essex High School, Frankenstein

7:45 — St. Johnsbury Academy, Just So Stories

Synopses below:

Lyndon Institute: Thespis, Comedy

In the golden age of Athens, all is not golden. The Festival of Dionysus has become a showcase for boring, repetitive, mindless chanting. Enter Thepsis, a baker who dares to do what no man has done before - think for himself - and propose that something different might actually be entertaining.

Hazen Union: Scenes from Blithe Spirit, Dramatic Comedy

An incompetent psychic accidentally summons a novelist's late first wife much to the chagrin of his current wife.

Thetford Academy: Who Am I This Time?, Lighthearted Drama (based on the Kurt Vonnegut story)

Harry Nash has a real-life personality as blah as the leaf rakes in the hardware store where he works, but when he is handed a script, he becomes the role he plays, and he lives the role until the curtain falls. An actress falls in love with him, but it’s with the Harry who is ‘in character.’

Rutland: Curse You, Jack Dalton!, Melodramatic Comedy

In true melodramatic style, there are villains, a dashing hero and a beautiful maiden in distress. Anna wants Jack for his money and will remove anyone in her way. Egbert Van Horn needs money and he will help Anna. Jack loves Bertha and will do anything to save her. Will good triumph over evil? Join in cheering the hero and booing the villains.

Spaulding: The Cagebirds, Allegorical Drama

In this extraordinary play, a "room" and a "cage" and "people" and "captive birds" all become confused until a dramatic climax in which we suddenly see reality. Six women live in a locked room, each absorbed in her own petty interest and in placating the "Mistress" who takes care of them. Then a "Wild One" is thrust in among them. She talks of breaking out of the room to find freedom. She troubles the others who remain secure in their cage, and they all join against her in the shattering conclusion to this unforgettable play that offers eight actresses an unusual opportunity.

Milton: Moby Dick, Drama

Moby Dick is an original play adapted from the novel by Herman Melville about one sailor’s account of a whaling ships captain’s obsession to hunt Moby Dick, a white whale, who tore off the captains leg. Told in a storytelling format, the show uses minimal set to convey this nautical world of whaling and revenge.

Otter Valley: The Last Firefly, Theater for Young Audiences

It begins with light and a flash. Then comes a sound, a pulse, a beat, a crash like a giant hammer smashing through the sky. The fantastic story of Boom, the son of Thunder, is a mythical adventure about discovering one's inner strength. After being forced out of his home at the hand of his cruel stepfather, Boom sets out on a journey of self-discovery where he must courageously battle forces of nature. Along the way, he encounters conflict with the animals of an enchanted forest who will either help or hinder him in his quest. This epic tale combines Japanese fairy tales and folklore to create an exciting theatrical experience for young people. Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Lamoille: Validation, Drama

Liza's family is getting boring -- and unless ratings improve, the network is going to pull the plug on their non-stop reality TV show. Living in a futuristic world of relentless exposure, Liza struggles to convince her family that life is meaningless unless it is validated by the camera. When she films her fiance against his wishes, the results are dark and disastrous. Validation questions our society's obsession with voyeurism and celebrity, as they threaten to consume everyday reality.

Essex: Frankenstein, Horror

Frankenstein gets reanimated and reimagined in this ensemble-driven version of the classic horror story. This production's visually stunning exploration of science, creation, isolation, and ego will be a thrilling and visceral experience in storytelling. **Frankenstein contains mature content. We are recommending audience members to be aged 13 and up.

St. Johnsbury Academy: Just So Stories, Comedy

Five of Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories, including How the Camel Got His Hump, How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin and How the Elephant Got His Trunk are included here. The tales are brought vividly to life by Kipling's young daughter, Elsie, and a group of new friends she has made during a visit with her aunt while her parents are away. Elsie receives in the mail from her father a recently published copy of his new book, a series of animal adventures. She and her friends eagerly act out the stories until they come to the final one which, to the surprise of her friends, Elsie is reluctant to enact.