Stage lights cast a luminous light over a table topped with accolades and plaques. Nerves fluttered through the auditorium, but the Xochipilli Theater Company kept a steady energy toward their awaited outcome, comforted by the fact that no matter what happened they gave it their all. As they heard their name announced, the company erupted into tears of joy as the words, “And They Dance” were announced through the microphone. Members flooded the stage to receive their second place awards, becoming El Dorado High School’s first theater company to ever advance to Area.
The preparation for the One-Act play took more than just skill. It took dedication, commitment and grit. The majority of the crew was new to the world of performing, with five out of eight actors experiencing their first year with on stage performances. Xochipilli Theater performed “And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson” on March 31 at the 5A Bi-District competition at Eastwood High School.
“Every year I looked forward to competing whether we advanced or not. It felt good to have that pressure on us,” senior Ailani Lechuga said. “Knowing that I was a part of school history made my senior year feel straight out of a movie.”
Lechuga’s four years in theater prompted her to pursue a career in film and acting. During production, the magic of a show can’t shine without a crew backstage and in the tech booth. The tech crew received the Best Overall Crew award at Districts and Bi-Districts. Despite joining the production late, senior Abigail Perez quickly understood what she could contribute to the program as assistant stage manager. Perez ensured that costume changes and transitions ran smoothly on top of giving time cues to the actors.
“I loved getting to know everyone and seeing how committed everybody was to their role. Competing in Lubbock was definitely very stressful on everyone because there were so many things we weren’t used to and the competition itself was very different,” Perez said. It was very fun, but it put a lot of stress on us these last couple of months.”
Prior to Bi-Districts, stage manager senior Estrella Ortega received the All-Star Technician award. Ortega’s job was to keep track of time and call cues for light and sound behind the curtain. One of the major challenges for Ortega was keeping the play under 40 minutes to meet competition requirements.
“It’s very stressful not getting to see what’s going on and not knowing if the actors are loud enough to be heard by the audience. The fact that we got Best Tech Crew back-to-back says a lot about how dedicated everyone was,” Ortega said. “Standing on that stage for senior night felt so surreal. At the beginning of high school I was told these next four years were going to fly by and they sure did. We were able to accomplish far more than what we anticipated, and I’m so proud of my team.”
At the Bi-District and Area competition, light board operator senior Valeria Ruiz received the All-Star Technician award. Ruiz’s dreams came to life when she found out she’d travel with her closest friends, pursuing what they love. Ruiz has been a mentor for the underclassmen and continues to teach them about the technical world of theater.
“Knowing that we made history not only for our program, but for the school was insane. I was extremely emotional during senior night because I knew that it was all going to end that very night,” Ruiz said. “It was our turn to go on stage and take our final bow. I’m very content with everything we accomplished and I’m also extremely proud of myself. A big part of our success was Mr. Stokes, he’s incredibly talented and knows what he’s doing.”
