Four Class A One Act Play State Festival productions receive starred performance ratings

Belle Plaine was awarded a Minnesota State High School League record 20th starred performance rating on the first day of the 2025 One Act Play State Festival.

Eight Class A qualifiers staged dramatic productions Thursday at O’Shaughnessy Auditorium on the campus of St. Catherine University in St. Paul. A panel of judges rated each for general effectiveness, stage picture, characterization, stage business, tempo, interpretation and other points.

New Life Academy of Woodbury, Bagley and Morris Area joined Belle Plaine with starred performances Thursday.

Belle Plaine’s 20th starred rating and eighth consecutive came in its 21st appearance with a production of The Dramatic Professor directed by Tony Hartmann and Dylan O’Brien. It previously shared the record with Eagan.

Morris Area received a starred rating for the seventh time and first since 2009 in its 13th appearance. Kelly White directed Yerma.

New Life Academy's original production of Nevermore was written by Gina Kortuem and directed by Jack Moorman and Kortuem. It's the school's second starred rating in two festival appearances after debuting in 2023.

Bagley earned its first starred rating in its 12th State Festival appearance and eighth consecutive with a Marilyn Hood-directed production of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.

Other Class A Section champions that performed at the State Festival were Dassel-Cokato, Marshall School (Duluth), Bertha-Hewitt and Plainview-Elgin-Millville.

The eight Class AA qualifiers will be on stage Friday.