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Hartington-Newcastle looking to repeat as state champions

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HARTINGTON — As reigning State One-Act Play team champions, Hartington-Newcastle will look to keep up the tradition that has seen them win seven total crowns.

The local troupe had three public performances at the HNS Gym between Sunday and Monday.

They will perform Tuesday, Nov. 19, at the Lewis and Clark Conference Festival in Creighton. District competition will be Dec. 3.

Coach A.J. Johnson – and assistants Linda Kathol and Lindsay Stappert – work with a roster full of comedic talent as they set themselves to perform “Young Frankenstein” this season.

With a total of almost 60 kids – 46 in the cast – Johnson’s charges have been working on the play since September.

“The kids have a lot of work to do yet, but they are working hard and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Johnson said. “We picked this play because it fit the kids that we’ve got.”

When choosing a play, he always considers the actors that will be performing it, Johnson said.

“When you find a play, you want to find something good that will entertain people, but also will keep you competitive. So, you look at the kids you have and the characters and see if they fit,” he said. “Some schools, I wonder if they don’t pick the plays regardless of the kids they have. A lot of schools try to pick things that fit their kids. Picking a play where the kids don’t fit, never works.”

Young Frankenstein is known for being unabashedly funny and Johnson’s troupe should be up to the task.

“They’re funny,” Johnson said. “They have a lot of energy and they understand comedy and good comedic timing and how it must go.”

It might be a perfect piece for the Wildcats who compete in a tough, C2 District 4.

“We will have some tough competition,” Johnson said. “We will need to be at our best.”

When an area like Northeast Nebraska embraces one-act as vigorously as it has, one has to be ready to bring out their A game.

“It’s hard to describe why it’s big around here, but I know it takes people in schools willing to take and invest the time,” Johnson said. “It takes a lot of hard work, but we are fortunate that we have good schools in our area. Once schools start getting good in your area, the bars get raised and other schools want to raise that bar. They have really good coaches at Wausa and at Cedar Catholic and Wynot and several others have made state and done well.”

One thing Johnson has going for him is the return of the two-time defending state individual male performer, senior Sam Harms.

“He has a great sense of timing and he’s got great facial expressions and a natural gift for performing,” Johnson said. “He’s 6-foot-8 and has a long lanky body and he knows how to use it to make people laugh.”