RACHEL, W.Va. (WBOY) — North Marion High School will be sending 23 students to the Southeastern Theater Conference in Lexington, Ky. at the beginning of March.

Schools from across the country are selected every year to represent their state, and this year NMHS will be representing West Virginia with its rendition of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

North Marion High School's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
North Marion High School’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (WBOY image)

“It’s pretty empowering,” said Anna Smith, a NMHS student who plays both Titania and Hippolyta. “We’ve worked really hard to get here, and it’s a really cool opportunity that we get. There’s more to theater than meets the eye, and it can be a really motivating and inspirational experience for not only the actors but the audience.”

While attending the conference, North Marion students will also be able to connect with professionals in the acting and theater industry, as well as apply for scholarships and attend theater workshops.

Maddi Starling, who plays Puck, said she’s honored to be able to represent West Virginia and be among the few schools that get to attend each year. Puck is one of the fairies in the play who serves King Oberon.

“He’s very fun, he’s very fluid. He’s mischievous, but he’s always ready to serve his master,” Starling said.

Eva Tennant, who will be studying theater once she begins attending West Liberty University, said she’s hoping the school will do well representing West Virginia as it will be their first time attending the conference. She also plays two roles in their production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Theseus, Oberon.

“I’ve been doing [theater] since I was a freshman, and I just originally joined because I thought it was cool, and I keep doing it because I just really like being on the stage and doing all that,” Tennant said.

The Southeastern Theater Conference will begin on March 1 and conclude on March 5.