One Act drama competitions are demanding on participants. Within a forty-five minute time limit, the participants in a competitive One Act are required to set up their props, perform the play, and tear down the sets before time runs out. Prep’s One Act team began practicing every day after school (and on several weekends) in November, learning and perfecting their play. On January 14th, the troupe performed “The Voice of the Prairie” in front of the student body.

      In the play, Claire Parish and John William Creel starred as the young Frankie and Davey, two children who become friends by chance and ultimately fall in love. Frankie, whose recently deceased mother has left her a dowry, has run away from her alcoholic father in order to protect her fortune. Trying to find a place to hide from her father, to keep him from receiving her dowry, blind Frankie hides away in her parent’s barn for a night. There, Frankie happens upon homeless orphan, Davey. Together, the pair travel by train to Natchez, Mississippi trying to escape the influence of Frankie’s father. Unfortunately,   Frankie’s father, desperate to bring his daughter home so he can acquire her fortune, has offered a reward to anyone who can return her. Eventually, a money hungry watermelon salesman played by Daniel Hayes Brister, captures and returns Frankie to her father.

     Separated after Frankie’s capture, the pair spent several decades apart. After she hears a familiar story on the radio told by David Quinn, Francis, played by Jennifer Roberts, sets out to find her lost love. Older Davey, played by Gregor Patti, is ultimately reunited with his love Francis after his initial reluctance to see her after their prolonged separation.

     One Act participants performed “The Voice of the Prairie” in two competitions, winning several awards. North Festival, their first competition, was held at Mississippi State University, where they competed against seventeen other schools and made it to the final three.

     At North Festival, cast members Jennifer Roberts and Claire Parish were selected as All-Star Cast members, Gregor Patti received the award for Best Actor, and Mr. Kenneth McDade received the award for best director. Mr. McDade said he was honored to receive such an award among many great directors, but he was also proud that he could represent Prep.

      At the Mississippi Theatre Association Festival, held at The University of Mississippi, Prep’s one act did not perform as well as they did in their first competition, although Claire Parish did receive another All-Star Cast award.  In the Individual Events, Jennifer Roberts and Lawson Marchetti competed in the solo singing competition. Jennifer made the top five, and Lawson placed second overall.