The thirteen members of the cast and crew for “…And the Rain Came to Mayfield” received second place at sub-sections in the One-Act Play Contest and will advance on to sections. This huge accomplishment could be due in a large part to the dedication of the cast as well holding open auditions this year, allowing non-acting class participants to take part in the One Act. “The acting class this year has 34 students and the maximum that are eligible for the One Act Competition is 20 students, that includes cast and crew,” said Maura Brew, the teacher of the acting class and director for the One Act.

Brew wanted to avoid hurt feelings amongst acting class participants over who was allowed in the One Act. “In all fairness, I just thought it would be nearly impossible to chose 20 out of 34, and then what would the other 14 do? It just wouldn’t be fair,” said Mrs. Brew. “I knew that early on, so I decided to go with a small play and a small cast and just see what happens.”

Each actor had their own challenges when it came to preparing their character. “I would say, for me it was the southern accent,” said Mary Pat Ross, a freshman who plays Mayfield’s local hairdresser. “The biggest problem for me was studying lines because there was like finals and all that stuff,” said sophomore Brandon Easter, who’s character, Nathan Williams is a focal point of the play.

For those interested, sections will be hosted on Saturday, February 4th at Edina High School. Brew has been helping out with the One Act for 14 years, but still doesn’t know what to expect as far as judging goes. “Every year I’m surprised, every year there are surprises, different judges react differently to different things. I’ve just stopped guessing,” said Brew.