By Jolene Farley
Hills-Beaver Creek High School students audition next week for a dinner theater production planned for Thursday, April 10, and Friday, April 11, at Drivers Restaurant and Banquet Center at the Beaver Creek golf course.
For the last several years, students participated in one-act play competitions, traveling around the region.
This year, director Ben Davis and school administrators decided it would be fun to try something different.
"We talked about it for a number of years," Davis said. "It’s always been my philosophy that theater isn’t a competition sport."
"You put your heart and soul into it. The theater experience is a very individual experience," he said.
Davis, who directed students for several years in the one-act competition, has narrowed his choice of plays down to two comedies, both with a diverse cast and about 45 minutes long.
For the past three years, one-act play students performed for friends and relatives one time during competition week. Parents brought desserts to serve after the usually well-attended performance.
Davis said dinner theater production was a logical next step.
Students will rehearse the play for five weeks before the April show date. Davis hopes to have 25 practices under his belt before the curtain goes up.
He directs the students alone, except for the help of a student stage manager.
Davis hopes more students will become involved with the dinner theater than were involved with one-act play in previous years, because the dinner theater production will offer more parts than one-acts.
Timing for more student involvement is probably better too. One-act play practices and competition conflicted with sports schedules for some students. With the dinner theater moved to April, there shouldn’t be as many conflicting schedules.
Davis is excited to use the Beaver Creek Club House for the production. In the past, students were forced to practice in the Hills Legion or different areas of the school because of limited gym space.
Drivers can hold 300 people (sit down) for each performance. Davis will consider the show a success with two shows with 100 tickets sold.
A two-meat buffet, tentatively priced at about $15 a plate with theater tickets included, will be served for guests before the play begins.
To order tickets, call the golf course at 507-673-0011.
