, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
The Luverne High School production of the one-act play, “Golden Gone,” takes audience members on a journey between two states, inside a mental hospital and on a ride in a car.
A free public performance is at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, in the school auditorium.
Sophomore Josie Golla leads the nine-member cast in the 35-minute performance.
She portrays Aurelia, who was taken by her biological dad, Adam, when she was 8 years old.
“It’s really an interesting idea to see inside her head after she is kidnapped by her dad,” Golla said.
The play takes place nine years after the kidnapping.
The now teenaged Aurelia still lives in Pennsylvania with her dad, portrayed by senior Cameron Wessels. Sophomore Xavier Carbonneau plays Aurelia’s boyfriend.
Her mother, Amy, (senior Adriana Gonzalez) is still in New Mexico and has become fixated with her missing “golden” daughter. Dismayed by their mother’s lack of attention are Amy’s other daughters, Ellen and Emily, (senior Nicole Aanensen and junior Nicole Hoogland respectively).
Mother Amy has taken to posting videos on YouTube and a troubled young woman, Melody (played by junior Melanie Rittenhouse), knows the secret to Aurelia’s disappearance. From her room in the mental hospital, Melody realizes the power the knowledge gives her.
Also giving an outside perspective to the incident are next-door neighbor Dina played by junior Meagan Hansen and Aurelia’s best friend, Brian, (Seno Chanthalangsy). The two converse as they ride in a car and again when they reach their destination.
First-year director Joseph Stearns said the Dennis Bush play was selected specifically for the subsection 10 one-act play competition, taking place Saturday, Jan. 26, in Pipestone.
The play focuses on human behavior and the characters’ failure to recognize reality.
“This particular play has been difficult for me to direct, especially as a new director, but I feel the students have a strong capacity to portray their characters in a way that makes the story meaningful,” he said.
“At the end of the day, my biggest hope is that students find joy in performing.”
The top two performances move on to the Feb. 2 section 3A competition in Redwood Falls. The section champion performs at the state event Feb. 7-8 in St. Paul.
Crew members include junior Amelia Jarchow, sophomore Elise Jarchow and freshmen Chance Tunnissen and Burke Johnson.