The Advancement of Nora’s Lost to State Competition: A Reflection

A+young+Nora%2C+played+by+Arianna+Schilder%2C+is+stunned+by+the+news+that+her+son+has+died+in+Vietnam.+Arianna+won+an+excellence+in+acting+award+at+the+regional+NCTC+competition.

A young Nora, played by Arianna Schilder, is stunned by the news that her son has died in Vietnam. Arianna won an excellence in acting award at the regional NCTC competition.

It’s something that I am simply never going to forget. I remember thinking, “Wow. It would be great if they said our name right about now.” They did. The next few moments of climbing onto the stage teary-eyed is a blur, but I remember how happy I felt. It’s as if at that moment all of our hard work had paid off simply by the utterance of a few words into a microphone. How special, huh? Well, it’s all something that we didn’t expect. It’s easy to remember every moment because of how much the cast loves the show. We do love the show. Our cast poured their hearts out in this show and it feels wonderful to have someone notice our love for it. I sat down with Arianna Schilder, a fellow cast member who plays Young Nora, and asked her questions about this accomplishment.

 

Q: What is the most meaningful part of advancing to states?
A: “I think knowing that all of the dedication and effort that we put into a complicated and emotional show and the fact that all of us are so close and we get to experience this together, it’s really special.”

 

Q: How did it feel to win Excellence in Acting?
A: “I was really honored, especially because Weddington ended up winning three excellences in acting. I think it was so cool that Young Nora and Nora both won this award because it showed how in-sync our characters were.”


Q: What are you most looking forward to as far as states go?
A: “I think spending every hour of every day together because as much as we get tired of each other, at the end of the day it’s special to get close to your castmates, they become family.”

 

Q: Fun Question: Any new music coming out?
A: “I am currently working on another song that I will be recording and releasing soon. As you know, Contrast by Ahnna is available on all music platforms.”

 

As I am sure you can tell, the cast truly has a special place in their hearts for this show. It means so much for our hard work and dedication to be recognized. It means more to have such a great director who has supported us along this entire journey. Going to a school where it is sometimes easy for the arts to be overshadowed by sports, it’s special for us to have this “states bound” feeling and it’s special to experience it together. That being said, you can come to experience the show we love for yourself. On Tuesday, November 19th at 7 PM, a public performance of Nora’s Lost will take place in the auditorium. The cost for admission is $5 and a talk-back with the cast will take place afterward in which we can openly be critiqued by the audience in order for us to get input on the state of the production before we head to states. Our state competition will take place at Greensboro College on Thursday, November 21st, and Friday, November 22nd.