BW Contest Drama Streams this Weekend

Belleville West Little Theatre will present the annual contest drama next Thursday and Friday, March 19 and 20.  This year’s offering is The Women of Lockerbie, a contemporary drama by Deborah Brevoort.  Because of health and safety precautions associated with the pandemic, this year’s performance will stream online.

The Women of Lockerbie is loosely inspired by a true story, although the characters and situations in the play are purely fictional. A mother from New Jersey (junior Elise Moore) roams the hills of Lockerbie, Scotland, looking for her son’s remains after the crash of Pan Am Flight 103.  Her husband (sophomore Jerry Aplin) follows her, attempting to provide comfort.

In the hills, the grieving mother meets the women of Lockerbie (junior Abby Barger, senior Anna Buescher, and junior Audrey O’Renic), who are fighting the U.S. government to obtain the clothing of the victims found in the plane’s wreckage.

The women, determined to convert an act of hatred into an act of love, want to wash the clothes of the dead and return them to the victims’ families. Written in the structure of a Greek tragedy, it is a poetic drama about the triumph of love over hate.

The contest play offers a unique opportunity for drama students.  The play must be performed within a 40-minute time period, and this year’s show must be presented virtually.  The Women of Lockerbie will compete against other area schools to win a berth in the IHSA state tournament.  This year’s sectional competition will be held on Friday and Saturday, March 19 and 20.

The production is directed by Mr. John Lodle and Mr. Jamie Klein.  The student directors are juniors Carmen Baldridge and Kacie Denton.  Student technical directors are juniors Morgan Elliff, Mason Hagarty, Jenna Heidbreder, Alexis Herbeck, Michael Wagner, and Allison Zaiz.

Find more information and order your streaming ticket at this link.

BW Theatre Streams Contest Drama Next Weekend

Belleville West Little Theatre will present the annual contest drama next Thursday and Friday, March 19 and 20.  This year’s offering is The Women of Lockerbie, a contemporary drama by Deborah Brevoort.  Because of health and safety precautions associated with the pandemic, this year’s performance will stream online.

The Women of Lockerbie is loosely inspired by a true story, although the characters and situations in the play are purely fictional. A mother from New Jersey (junior Elise Moore) roams the hills of Lockerbie, Scotland, looking for her son’s remains after the crash of Pan Am Flight 103.  Her husband (sophomore Jerry Aplin) follows her, attempting to provide comfort.

In the hills, the grieving mother meets the women of Lockerbie (junior Abby Barger, senior Anna Buescher, and junior Audrey O’Renic), who are fighting the U.S. government to obtain the clothing of the victims found in the plane’s wreckage.

The women, determined to convert an act of hatred into an act of love, want to wash the clothes of the dead and return them to the victims’ families. Written in the structure of a Greek tragedy, it is a poetic drama about the triumph of love over hate.

The contest play offers a unique opportunity for drama students.  The play must be performed within a 40-minute time period, and this year’s show must be presented virtually.  The Women of Lockerbie will compete against other area schools to win a berth in the IHSA state tournament.  This year’s sectional competition will be held on Friday and Saturday, March 19 and 20.

The production is directed by Mr. John Lodle and Mr. Jamie Klein.  The student directors are juniors Carmen Baldridge and Kacie Denton.  Student technical directors are juniors Morgan Elliff, Mason Hagarty, Jenna Heidbreder, Alexis Herbeck, Michael Wagner, and Allison Zaiz.

Find more information and order your streaming ticket at this link.

Speech Team Students Qualify for National Tournament

Members of the Belleville West Speech Team competed in the Greater Illinois National Speech and Debate Qualifying Tournament on Friday and Saturday, March 5 and 6.  The following students won individual awards and will advance to the national tournament in June.

Jerry Aplin and Diego Reed — first place in Duo Interpretation

Abby Barger — first place in Dramatic Interpretation

Grace Kearns and Khaleo Price — third place in Duo Interpretation

Audrey O’Renic — Program Oral Interpretation

Elise Moore — fourth place in Program Oral Interpretation

The speech team coaches are Mr. Adam Jenkins, Mr. Russ Reidelberger, Ms. Julie Schloesser, Ms. Anna Kurtz, Mr. Tyler Herron, and Mrs. Leigh Reidelberger.

Speech Team Competitors Claim State Crown

At the IHSA State Speech Tournament, held virtually on February 19 and 20, Belleville West competitors Jerry Aplin (sophomore) and Diego Reed (junior) won the state title in Dramatic Duet Acting.  Elise Moore (junior) took sixth place in Oratorical Declamation.

The team coaches are Mr. Adam Jenkins, Mr. Russ Reidelberger, Ms. Julie Schloesser, Mr. Tyler Herron, Ms. Anna Kurtz, and Mrs. Leigh Reidelberger.