See Marble Falls High School’s ‘Old Man and Old Moon’ on April 16
The Marble Falls High School Dark Horse Theater Company invites the public to a community performance of ‘The Old Man and The Old Moon’ at 6 p.m. Sunday, April 16, in the school auditorium, 2101 Mustang Drive. Admission is free.
Jam-packed with adventure, the roughly 40-minute, one-act-play details the story of an elderly man who must abandon his job of filling the moon with liquid light as he searches for his missing wife.
“It’s really just this fantastic journey of hope and memory and love,” theater director Jon Clark said. “It’s an epic, beautiful tale. I won’t say the ending because I want people to find out for themselves what happens.”
Clark said the show is entertaining for all audiences, regardless of age.
“It’s perfect for a 5-year-old to come and watch,” he said. “It’s also perfect for a 95-year-old to come and watch and reminisce about days gone by. It’s a family show and really well done.”
On April 1, Marble Falls theater students performed the play for the UIL area contest. It marked the sixth consecutive year the department advanced to the regional level of the competition.
“When you make it to region, that’s top 24 in the state of Texas,” Clark said. “Any department will tell you, ‘If you make it to region, that’s an amazing year.’ Our kids have made it six years straight, excluding (COVID-19). It’s incredible.”
Clark is proud of his group’s ability to navigate adversity throughout the show’s run.
“With this show, in particular, we’ve had a good amount of setbacks,” he said. “The kids have bounced back. If we lose a cast member for whatever reason, we’ve had other cast members and company members step up.”
Practices and rehearsals for the play began in late January. Because of the department’s extended success in the UIL contest, students have had even more time to perfect their performances.
“The kids have been working on this bad boy for the majority of this semester,” Clark said. “It’s a good thing to work on this thing for a long time because we get the opportunity to continue to share this story.”
Clark believes the core reason for the show’s success is the joy his cast displays at every rehearsal, practice, competition, and performance.
“Our kids love the story, but I think, more importantly, this is a testament to our kids and our company getting along,” he said. “They enjoy each other’s company. They’re a family. Rehearsals are still work, but they are less so when the kids show up and enjoy the people they’re with and traveling next to.”
The company will perform in the regional round of the UIL competition at 4:30 p.m. April 19 at Atascocita High School, 13300 Will Clayton Parkway in Humble.
“The region contest is open to anybody, and it’s always good to have some hometown audience members there with us to cheer us on,” Clark said. “The judges are in there with the audience, so if we have bigger, more supportive audience, it always helps.”