The Emporia High School Theatre Department is offering two more chances for the community to see a performance of the production that has helped them make school history on more than one occasion this past year.
Those opportunities will come Saturday afternoon and evening when the department hosts a pair of benefit performances of a Piece of My Heart, which tells the story of six women, five nurses and an entertainer hired to perform for troops, during the Vietnam conflict. The production, preparations for which began a year ago, has been performed to great acclaim at the local, state, and soon international levels, earning Emporia High a first-place finish at the Kansas Thespian Festival earlier this year and a bid to the International Thespian Festival later this month in Bloomington, Indiana.
Theatre Director Amanda Ballard says when the department began preparing for the production a year ago, she and her students had no idea just how far it would reach. That said, she is not surprised by the acclaim, as this was much more than just a show to the department, which is located in the founding city of Veterans Day.
Ballard says everyone involved came into the production with the understanding that they had a “moral obligation to do this story correctly.”
It wasn’t just the individuals on stage or at the helm who had this understanding; it also extended to those crafting the scenery on stage. Technical Director Adrian Ingles says there was a tremendous amount of attention to detail in designing the minimalist set comprised of eight platforms.
The benefit performances will take place at 2 pm and 7 pm Saturday inside the Emporia High auditorium, with the cost being a free will donation, which will support the theatre troupe’s trip to Bloomington, June 21-27. Stage Manager Atlyn Heffron says even if you have already seen the show, you should make plans to attend not only for the benefit of the department, but also to see just how far the students have come in recent months.
Ballard says every performance of the production over the last year has been emotional and special, but this weekend’s will be a little extra, as the performances fall on the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. While D-Day is associated with WWII and not Vietnam, Ballard noted it is still an important time of remembrance and honor for veterans, adding that the benefit falling on the day illustrates the various “happy coincidences” that have occurred throughout the show’s run over the last year.
For more information or to purchase tickets in advance of the shows, visit EmporiaHighTheatre.Ludus.com. A Piece of My Heart is the second production in Emporia High School history to be selected for the main stage at the state festival, the first production to earn top honors at the state festival and also the first production in school history to be selected for the main stage at the International Thespian Festival.
