By LAURA BROOKHART / Community Columnist

“I had an amazing experience at State Trumbauer Festival at Troy University,” HHS senior Curtis Woods told me. “I love the feel and the vibes the arts give off.

“At State Trumbauer Festival my partner, Hunter Shell, and I performed an original duet pantomime that we created called The Game Of Love.

“It was a fun piece about two guys who meet at a bus stop. One guy has a very lame personality, while my character was quite the opposite. We competed to win the heart of a woman who we spotted at the bus stop.”

This performance received a superior rating, and Woods went on to a near-perfect score for his solo male pantomime, bringing home a trophy to HHS for his original A Bad Day In The Park.”

“I created this with a little help from my sponsor/theater teacher, Jefferson Casey,” he said.

“My character catches a butterfly and makes the mistake of killing it,” Woods relates. “He makes a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and spills it all over himself. After feeding some angry ducks, they chase him into a lake and drown him and he dies.

“This was a very physical performance that uses every part of my body. Difficult, but enjoyable! It required a lot of practice on my part.”

Woods has since auditioned for college at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in Los Angeles. This audition required two contrasting monologues—one comedic, one dramatic.

Woods performed his monologue from Arsenic and Old Lace from the HHS fall production and a monologue from the play, Holy Ground.

An interview was also required and Woods noted that HHS seniors receive preparatory help, “so I knew how to carry my self and be calm.”

He has not heard the results, but says, “I’m going to pursue my love of the arts and plan to be an actor in Hollywood. I also aspire to open my own dance academy. If need be, I will stay home for another year doing local plays and gaining further experience.”

In the spring production of The Music Man, March 17-20, Woods will play the teenage character, Tommy.

“He is considered the troubled boy in town and is in love with the mayor’s daughter, Zaneeta. We are one of the power couples in the play and also the best dancers. So it shows both my skills in dance and drama.”

If you have yet to enjoy a theater experience at HHS, put it on your calendar for this spring!