The UIL One-Act Play cast will perform an adapted version of Shakespeare’s comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” for the community at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the auditorium with $3 admission. Theater teacher Dave Yirak directs the play and is assisted by Laura Smith and Jamie Crosswhite.

“Much Ado About Nothing” follows the matchmaking scheme of characters Hero, played by senior Allison Koontz, Claudio, played by sophomore Brantley Spinks, and Don Pedro, played by senior Caleb Ebell, to pair Benedick, played by junior Maverick Evans, and Beatrice, played by senior Erin Westermann. Don John, played by sophomore Jonathan Castro, plots to ruin Hero and Claudio’s wedding. Meanwhile, love unfolds as comedic drama ensues.

“It’s a comedy of miscommunication and deception in characters trying to get Beatrice and Benedict to fall in love with each other,” Westermann said. “Amidst all of that, Hero and Claudio fall in love, and then there are villains. There’s a lot going on, and there’s never a dull moment in the show. Maybe that’s what makes it so great.”

The cast competed at district Wednesday, March 23, and will compete at Bi-District April 1-2 at Amarillo College along with the other 3-5A district winners, Randall and Palo Duro.

“Last year at district these three casts also moved on,” Koontz said. “It’s kind of cool because we’ve created this bond with them.”

Koontz said this year’s cast of 15 is larger than last year’s.

“We did start out kind of separate, but now we are a close, tight-knit family,” Koontz said. “They’re just so much fun to work with, and I happily spend all my time after school with them.”

Read about last year's One-act play

One-act cast to compete at bi-district

One-act play steps out of the shadows to advance with classic story

During the show at district, Koontz’s dress unexpectedly caught on Spinks’s prop sword. Koontz said Evans’ quick thinking saved the moment.

“He (Evans) grabbed the drape which was attached to the sword and just yanked it,” Koontz said. “Then, the drape was still dragging on the floor behind me and when I turned to exit the stage, the drape got hooked onto the huge basket of flowers on the floor. When I walked offstage, I dragged the flowers behind me.”

Koontz said the mishaps added more stress to the competition, but the cast and crew helped her regain her composure following the difficulties.

“It’s supposed to be a very dramatic scene, so it was pretty stressful, especially because when you’re in a competition, when things go wrong it adds so much more stress,” Koontz said. “It’s really nice to have that bond with your cast because they’re there to help you no matter what.”

Despite the mishaps, Koontz said it was one of the cast’s best performances. The cast and crew won several awards, including best technical crew.  Senior Ben Bingham won Outstanding Stage Manager while seniors Erin Westermann and Allison Koontz were named to the All-Star cast. Senior Ismael Granda, who plays Dogberry, won Best Actor.

“I think all these awards give us the confidence that all the hard work that we put into the show is paying off,” Koontz said. “Going into bi-district will help us continue giving energy into the show and give another great performance.”