Wausmond claims State One Act title
Mark Mahoney
Wausa Gazette
NORFOLK — Wausmond One Act students buried the audience in laughter with their last performance – and became champions in the process.
The combined Wausa-Osmond team took home the Class C1 first-place trophy on Dec. 9 during the Nebraska School Activities Association’s 2021 State Play Production Championships in Norfolk.
Wausmond received perfect scores from all of the judges and beat runner-up Archbishop Bergan from Fremont and four other schools to clinch two state championships in a row for the powerhouse performing program.
Wausa/Wausmond students have won 13 state titles - across Classes C1, D1 and D2 - during the past 16 years under co-directing couple Brad and Sheila Hoesing.
“Just elated for my kids, elated for our kids,” Brad Hoesing said. “We’re so proud of what they did. They went out and fought for it and earned it. We’re excited for them. You can’t ask for anything better.”
Sheila Hoesing expressed happiness for students’ hard work paying off with a state championship.
“They did really good,” she said. “I’m going to be honest - it was a tough day. There were a lot of amazing plays here.”
Wausmond had the crowd dying of laughter with its dark comedy - full of deadpan and other kinds of humor - called “And To Death We Shall Return … Sooner or Later” at the Johnny Carson Theatre.
The show that Wausmond students performed this year was about three black-suited brothers who are morticians, and they listed off several reasons why people should not be in their line of work.
The story – from a script written by Sheila Hoesing – was set inside a mortuary that featured caskets, a crematorium and a morgue freezer with drawers.
“She’s crazy talented,” Brad Hoesing said of his wife. “We’re very fortunate to have her in that role.”
Wausmond students - dressed mostly in black and white outfits or as corpses - ran through their show with the Hoesings before they dug deep for their performance on stage.
Most of them were sitting as they stayed in character and recited their lines, the quiet before the storm of their energetic performance that included dancing and singing morticians and physical comedy by cadavers.
Wausa senior Tyler Baue was proud of how he and his fellow students performed at the state competition.
“I’m just so proud beyond words,” he said. “We put in so much work. We put in so much time. To get rewards like this, I mean, it’s so worth it.”
Baue expressed his gratitude to the Hoesings and their play production program.
“I’ve been a part of this program for six years and I’m so lucky that I had Wausa and Wausmond One Act in my life,” he said. “It’s shaped who I am. A huge part of me is One Act and I’m so thankful for it.”
Osmond senior Kaden Polt was also pleased with Wausmond’s performance at the state contest.
“It went really well,” he said. “We put in a lot of work over the past few months. We’ve been working for a really long time. I’m really proud of everything that we’ve put in. The outcome - I’m really proud of it.
“I definitely had high hopes for winning,” he said. “We had a pretty good chance, but I wasn’t sure. There was a lot of really good competition. I wasn’t too surprised. I was pretty confident in what our team could do.”
Wausa junior Emma Story has been a part of the the school’s One Act program for six years.
“I’m very excited for winning,” she said. “Winning again is super special. I’m going home with a medal, so I’m excited.”
Osmond senior Patrick Vinson was nervous waiting for the results of the state competition.
“That 10 minutes sitting inside of the hallway always, always gets me and I know it gets all of us, too,” he said. “I’m sad it’s over, but they’ve got somewhere to build next year.”
Fellow Osmond senior Riley Wagner was absolutely overjoyed with Wausmond’s win.
“All the hard work we’ve put into this since August - it was really a great feeling,” she said. “We had to defend the state title.”
The Hoesings are saying goodbye to 20 seniors who went out on top as state champions and who were a big part of the 70-student cast and stage crew this year.
“We have a good, really large, strong group of seniors, so it’s going to be kind of hard to see them go,” Sheila Hoesing said. “They had a good way to end their senior year, I have to say. They’ve been awesome leaders.”
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:
Wausmond One Act co-directors Brad and Sheila Hoesing were honored with a plaque from the Nebraska School Activities Association for being in charge of the Class C1 program that won first place at the 2021 State Play Production Championships.
In addition, several Wausmond students were named Outstanding Performers:
-Corpse Trevor: Trey McQuay.
-Morticia (Morgana): Abrielle Nelson.
-Theodore (Brother Mortician): Kaden Polt.
-Franklin (Brother Mortician): Tyler Baue.
-Stuart (Brother Mortician): Cole Story.
-Mother: Darla Nelson.
