Five Below Fundraiser Benefits BW Harambee

From March 20 through March 27, shop at Five Below in Fairview Heights to benefit Belleville West Harambee.  Print a copy of the form below, and 10% of your purchase will be donated to Harambee.

BW Theatre Presents New Play this Week

Belleville West Little Theatre will present the annual contest drama on Thursday, March 19.  This year’s offering is Good People, a new drama by David Lindsay-Abaire.

Good People begins in Southie, a Boston neighborhood where a night on the town means a few rounds of bingo, where this month’s paycheck covers last month’s bills, and where Margie Walsh (junior Bailey Guinn) has just lost another job.

Facing eviction and scrambling to catch a break, Margie thinks an old fling (senior Tyler Herron) who has made it out of Southie might be her ticket to a fresh start.  But is this apparently self-made man secure enough to face his humble beginnings?  Margie is about to risk what little she has left to find out.

Other cast members include senior Allison Knapp, juniors Sam Geiger and Nathan Hirst, and sophomores Rachel Deschaine and Janae Robinson.

The contest play offers a unique opportunity for drama students.  The play must be performed within a 40 minute time period, and student technicians have 20 minutes to set and clear the stage for performance.  Good People will compete against other area schools to win a berth in the IHSA state tournament.  This year’s sectional tournament will be held on Saturday, March 21.

The production is directed by Ms. Laurie Bielong and Mr. John Lodle.  Student directors are seniors Courtney Pegg and Aliyah Smith.  Student technical directors are seniors Jake Bernstein and Noah Murakami; juniors Nate Ackermann, Olivia Howard, Brandi Karbowiak, Dylan Miles, Alexis Radden, and Michelle Woods.

The March 19 performance is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in the Belleville West Performing Arts Center.  Tickets are $3 for students and $5 for adults.

BW Theatre Presents 2015 Contest Drama

Belleville West Little Theatre will present the annual contest drama on Thursday, March 19.  This year’s offering is Good People, a new drama by David Lindsay-Abaire.

Good People begins in Southie, a Boston neighborhood where a night on the town means a few rounds of bingo, where this month’s paycheck covers last month’s bills, and where Margie Walsh (junior Bailey Guinn) has just lost another job.

Facing eviction and scrambling to catch a break, Margie thinks an old fling (senior Tyler Herron) who has made it out of Southie might be her ticket to a fresh start.  But is this apparently self-made man secure enough to face his humble beginnings?  Margie is about to risk what little she has left to find out.

Other cast members include senior Allison Knapp, juniors Sam Geiger and Nathan Hirst, and sophomores Rachel Deschaine and Janae Robinson.

The contest play offers a unique opportunity for drama students.  The play must be performed within a 40 minute time period, and student technicians have 20 minutes to set and clear the stage for performance.  Good People will compete against other area schools to win a berth in the IHSA state tournament.  This year’s sectional tournament will be held on Saturday, March 21.

The production is directed by Ms. Laurie Bielong and Mr. John Lodle.  Student directors are seniors Courtney Pegg and Aliyah Smith.  Student technical directors are seniors Jake Bernstein and Noah Murakami; juniors Nate Ackermann, Olivia Howard, Brandi Karbowiak, Dylan Miles, Alexis Radden, and Michelle Woods.

The March 19 performance is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in the Belleville West Performing Arts Center.  Tickets are $3 for students and $5 for adults.

BW Senior Advances to State Contest

At the Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) sectional competition on Monday, March 9, Belleville West senior Ben Harsin earned second place in the English category.  With that finish, Ben will advance to the WYSE state finals at the University of Illinois in April.  The WYSE team is coached by physics teacher Mr. Mike Rogier.

Speech Team Members Qualify for National Tournament

On March 6 and 7, members of the BW Speech and Acting Team participated in the National Speech and Debate Association’s district tournament in Normal, Illinois.  At the contest, five Belleville West competitors qualified for the national contest this June in Dallas, Texas.  Congratulations to seniors Bethany Dain and Tyler Herron, to juniors Sam Geiger and Nathan Hirst, and to sophomore Janae Robinson.

The team is coached by Mr. Adam Jenkins, Mr. Russ Reidelberger, Ms. Julie Schloesser, and Mrs. Leigh Reidelberger.