KENNEBUNK – A Kennebunk High School play lasting only 40 minutes and focused on the White Rose Society, a resistance group persecuted by the Nazis in 1940s Germany, won first place in the Maine One-Act Drama Festival Class A Regionals in March.
The choice of play was lauded as “bold” by judges and others at the festival. The main character is Sophie Scholl and the story is framed around her interrogation by the Gestapo and told through flashbacks of her work with the resistance group. The play was chosen by the students themselves, who explained they were looking for a play that made emotional connections — while they agreed there may be parallels to current times, they felt it is a true story that deserves to be told.
Juliet Rice, a senior and student-director of the play, said, “This play is not controversial, it happened. People stood up and spoke out. It was a tragedy.” Adrianne Parent, also a senior, played the lead character, adding, “Sophie was a real person, and I wanted to pay respect to her views and opinions.” Ella Stackhouse agreed, adding that the play emphasized, “historical truths.”
Bea Brenden-Dodson, who played the resistance leader, added, “Some people were fearful about the message, but I felt many scenes to be very joyful, showing comradery and the passion of the White Rose Society for their beliefs. This speaks to having hope for the future.”
Choosing the play was just the first step in creating this student-led production. Everything, including the length of the play, is timed, and points are forfeited if students go over. As required by the rules of the competition, students designed all the sound and lighting, composed the music, created the costumes, and designed and built the sets. Even more challenging, sets had to be able to be transported to Augusta, brought through a standard-sized doorway, and fully set up in just five minutes. Only 50 minutes was allotted to program and set up the lighting board. The students agreed that KHS has an “impressive tech department” and they wanted to showcase their skills.
When asked about audience reaction to the play, the students seemed pleased with the effect of their work. Bea observed that audiences appeared to leave the theater in a reflective mood.
Mara Dale, theater director, provided background on the department’s culture. She explained that, “The students and I have been working this year on establishing a rapport within the theater community, which has allowed us to collaborate in open and honest ways. I’m proud of the ways in which students have opened up and challenged themselves this year.”
Juliet said the most memorable thing to her about the three-month production was the dedication of every single person involved. “Everyone worked hard, was willing to take feedback, came prepared. They were committed to telling the story and telling it right.” Adrianne added, “The creative process throughout the play included the tech crew, so it was a really cohesive group working together.”
