On October 26, Cass High performed at Woodland High School in the AAAAA Region 7 One Act Competition — a competition in which 9 schools vie for the number one spot. Performing a fifty-five-minute rendition of Flowers for Algernon, a play about a 32-year-old developmentally disabled man who has the opportunity to undergo a surgical procedure that will dramatically increase his mental capabilities, the Cass Thespians walked away with a 2nd place finish and the Best Actor Award.  Talking with CJ McKnight, winner of the aforementioned Best Actor Award, gave The Trumpet an interesting insight into what it takes to be part of Cass’ Thespian troupe.

Trumpet: What is One Act?  

McKnight: “One Act is, as the name suggests, a play with only one act. We performed the play multiple times at the school for anyone to come and watch and then we took it to competition. We had to keep it under 55 minutes or we got points taken off by the judges. It can be a musical or just a straight play.”  

Trumpet: Do you feel that you deserved to win?  

McKnight: “I do feel that I deserved to win because I worked very hard. It wasn’t an easy role to prepare for because I didn’t want to be insensitive. The first few weeks really held me back because the Charlie at the beginning wasn’t the Charlie everyone got to see.”   

Trumpet: Any original concerns about playing Charlie? 

McKnight: “Yes, I was definitely concerned; I didn’t want to be insensitive. I wanted Charlie to be seen as a person because he’s definitely a person and feels just as we do. I feel like people don’t see those who are mentally disabled as equals or as on the same level.” 

Charlie from Flowers for Algernon is a mentally-challenged man with the IQ of 60.  

Trumpet: How did you prepare for your role as Charlie?  

McKnight: “I’d say the biggest thing that helped me was a movie called I Am Sam. [Chris] Agan, Cass High’s drama director, recommended it to me. That was where I got most of my inspiration from. [Charlie] is not exactly Sam, but I feel like the audience could see some aspects of Sam in my interpretation of Charlie. With that said, I really feel like I made Charlie my own character.” 

I Am Sam is a movie about a mentally-challenged father, Sam, raising his daughter.  

 Trumpet: Would you have changed anything about the play?  

McKnight: “I guess the main thing we got counted off for was it not being clean. It was a technical [issue] with our set and us moving lights. Our transitions could have been cleaner, but overall, I loved the show and I loved doing it.”  

Trumpet: When did you start acting? 

McKnight: “I’d say I officially started last year, my sophomore year. Way back in the day, I did Christmas and Easter plays I really didn’t want to be in. I wish I had started freshman year, but I was too nervous. When I saw my first high school play, that’s when I knew what I wanted to do.” 

Trumpet: Do you see acting as a future job?  

McKnight: “’Do I see acting as a future job?’ Yes, it’s pretty – like – I know it will be hard, but I just love being on the stage. I know it would be really hard.” 

Trumpet: Favorite part of One Act?   

McKnight: “I have to think – ha ha – I’m going to have a few. Rehearsals are always great because you get to become closer to people you know and some you don’t. Yet, they can be very bad because some days I went home feeling like I did nothing right. Competition days are always fun; I normally get excited before shows but especially on competition day.  I love performing. There’s always a dance party afterward while the judges are [tallying scores], Sorry I couldn’t narrow it down — all these things are great! But, if I had to narrow it down, it would be performing. When the audience engages with us by laughing or crying, I’m like, “I did that — we did that.”

While only the 1st place winners get to go on to the  State One Act competition, the Colonels couldn’t be prouder of our drama department. We are all on the edge of our seats waiting for the next production to hit the stage.