By Shirley A. Gorman

SDN News Editor

Snyder High School drama students and their director, Michael McQuerry, have been busy this week putting the final touches on their 3-3A district one-act entry -- William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights Dream.

Six schools will compete for top honors Saturday in the one-act contest to be hosted by Sweetwater High School.

Schools in addition to Snyder and Sweetwater are Merkel, Lamesa, Seminole and Denver City.

The one-act contest will determine which of the schools wins the district UIL meet. Snyder currently leads with 242 points earned in Saturday’s academic UIL meet hosted by the high school.

All schools will rehearse on Friday with competition set the following day. Snyder will take to the stage around 3 p.m. But McQuerry urges anyone planning to attend to arrive about 30 minutes early.

In preparation for the district match, Snyder thespians performed A Midsummer Nights Dream last week at Western Texas College.

Even though Shakespeare’s play has been performed countless times, McQuerry said the judge found “new creative choices in our play.”

McQuerry speaks very highly about his students and what they have already accomplished this school year. Four members of the cast are seniors: Jason Hook, Blake Robertson, Coleman Welch and Paul Jackson. Justin Cox, stage manager, is also a senior.

McQuerry said the drama student experimented to find what they wanted to do with this play. And in keeping with longstanding tradition, he said they l worked through spring break.

Shakespeare’s play involves two sets of young lovers, Hermia and Lysander and Helena and Demetrius, whose lives become complicated after they enter a fairyland woods where the king and queen of the fairies, Oberon and Titania, rule. The woods is also home to the impish folk character -- Puck.

McQuerry chose A Midsummer Nights Dream for several reasons. “It’s a great ensemble for this group (of students). It’s a fun play and each student has something funny to do.”

He added that A Midsummer Nights Dream was the last play the late Jerry P. Worsham directed and it is the last high school play McQuerry performed in.

He said he is fortunate to have studied under Worsham for four years. “That’s one of the reasons I became a drama teacher.”

He said he hopes the play does well at contest. But their goal, a tradition Worsham passed on to his students, is to perform the play as best they can.

Cast members are Coleman Welch who plays both Theseus and Oberon; Stephanie Parmer, Hioppolyta/Titania; Jason Hook, Egeus/Peter Quince; Corie Hernandez, Hermia; Paul Jackson, Lysander; Michael Nelson, Demetrius.

Others are Blake Robertson, Helena; Tyler Price, Puck; Jeff Stanfield, Understudy Puck; Logan Martin, Bottom and Pyramus; Cade Owen, Flute/Thisby; Lance Turner, Scout and Wall; Kerissa Shipp, Snug, Lion and Moth; Aurelie Semillon, Fairy 1; and Nathan Graves and Adrian Brooks as Staveling and Moon.

Making up the technical crew are Amanda Blythe, costumes and fog; Paula Fritz, fog and backstage lighting; Jeff Sta nfield, stage manager, sound, props and costumes; and Justin Cox, lights, props and costumes.

Alternates include Jerry Ashley, Laura Caldwell, Casey Smith and Adrian Brooks who also acts.