By Chris Brown

The show must go on

Hat High hosting virtual Pilot Lights Theatre Festival

Jun 2, 2021 | 3:06 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Live performances and full houses aren’t happening this year but Medicine Hat High School’s drama department is doing what it can to keep the “pilot” lights on.

Each spring since 2015, drama teacher Richard Grafton has produced a Pilot Lights Theatre Festival.

“This year we decided that rather than doing our regular festival that we hold every year where we invite schools to come to our school we decided to have an online version of it,” Grafton says.

Concerned about COVID restrictions shutting down rehearsals, Grafton shifted the festival to a solo performer edition.

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“We actually asked that the students would write their own plays, produce it, they could have a team to help edit and film but generally, it would just a solo performance,” he said.

With it having to be a virtual festival this year, Grafton opened submissions to all Alberta students.

There are four students from Hat High in the festival and more submissions are coming in from across the province.

Some of the plays are available for viewing now at the festival website. Grafton says it’s open from June 1-15.

“Anyone can go on check out the links and you can see the videos but also get a chance to read the scripts. One of the things we’re doing new this year is giving an award for best playwright so we thought it would be interesting to actually see what the script is and see how that translated into the performance in the end.”

Other awards to be given out are best overall play, outstanding solo performer, outstanding director, outstanding technical role and outstanding production design.

Esra Johnston wrote and performed a play about an airline that has a five-step plan to fix all that ails the industry.

“But they choose the absolute worst people to try and put these plans forward,” he says. “So every single plan turns into an even bigger controversy. So it slowly gets up higher and higher.”

Having to scrounge for items to fit into his vision for the set, the Grade 12 student says learning to adapt and work with what you can find has been an important experience.

Cerulea Hubbard, also in Grade 12, says she’s learned about time management and thinking ahead when writing to consider how it will look on the screen.

Her play is about three kids who are abducted by aliens and need to find their way home. She’s performing it with puppets she is designing herself.