Ghetto

Last night the Wills Point Theater Department put up Ghetto as their one-act play at Bi-District competition.  Ghetto, by Joshua Sobol, focuses on the lives and experiences of Polish Jews in the Vilna ghetto during the Nazi occupation of World War II.  It centers on historical figures like Jacob Gens, the chief of the Jewish Police and later Head of the ghetto, as well as many Jewish artists that are living in the ghetto.  It is a play that forces us to look at the purpose and power of art, particularly in the most extreme and trying times in our lives.

Good theater speaks truth.  It forces us to confront truths about history, about our lives, about society, and the world around us.  And these students and their performance did just that.

These students have much to be proud of.  Each performance has continually improved on the last, as they have continued to learn and discover more of the truth spoken through this show.  They have dug deep to truly grasp the gravity and emotion of one of the most horrific points in our past, to find the humanity, the beauty, and the tragedy that occurred.

Wills Point always has one of the most competitive paths for advancement in One Act Play.  Their district alone contains one school that consistently makes the State Competition and often wins, as well as other state competitors.  Each subsequent level gets more and more competitive.  What that means is that each level is a wonderful day of theater with great performances and great shows.

So, while they may not have advanced out of Bi-District, each student should be commended for the performance that they put forward.  They should know they moved many people in the audience (from anecdote, at least a couple to tears).  You told this story well and you honored the memory of all that were represented.  You cannot ask for more from theater.

Bravo!  Good show!