Alba-Golden theater teacher Mandy Whitecotton.

(Monitor photo by John Arbter)

Kevin Inman, as the investigative reporter Daimler, makes a dramatic appeal to former concentration camp guard Greta, played by Cassidi Burris.

(Monitor photo by John Arbter)

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All are vulnerable – vulnerable to being corrupted by power. It may be all the more so when an individual is placed in an environment where the normal foundations of human conduct are degraded or even destroyed altogether. 

The loss of one’s parents, the responsibilities of raising one’s younger siblings, all taking place in an environment of general warfare can accelerate that vulnerability. In these challenging circumstances, it is not difficult to allow evil into one’s life. The effect can render a normal human being into something monstrous.   

Such a cautionary tale is difficult to tell for many reasons – not the least of which is a sane person’s belief that it could never happen to them.

The telling of this story has become the passion of the Alba-Golden theater students. Their production of the one-act play “Dark Road” is a fictionalized account of two sisters. After their parents are victims of a political killing, the younger sister (Lisa) comes under the care of her older sister (Greta).

In an effort to provide for her young sister, Greta takes a job as a guard at the Ravensbrueck Woman’s Concentration Camp at the height of the Second World War in Europe.

“Dark Road” portrays the devolution of Greta’s character as evil overtakes her, with tragic results. 

The story of Ravensbrueck is heavy. Doing research on the camp and reading of the medical experiments which were conducted on inmates may cause nausea. It was a place of evil.

The play, derived from the story of a guard at Ravensbrueck, may seem an odd choice to bring to stage. According to Alba-Golden theater teacher Mandy Whitecotton, conducting the play required that all hands understood why.

“It’s about how, once an individual cracks the door open to evil, it can consume the whole person,” she explained. “We can never allow groups within society to be denied respect or love or care.”

Whitecotton described how the entire theater group has demonstrated the maturity and understanding required to stage a play with such serious messaging.

“We had significant discussions about the play before we began,” she noted, “and I am very proud of the whole cast and crew.”

That group has taken “Dark Road” to a first place finish at district and bi-district competitions. Area competition was held April 2 in Lindale. The 27 young student-performers are making history at Alba-Golden. According to local knowledge, the Alba-Golden one-act play production has made it to the area round of competition for the first time in over 30 years – and may be the first-ever trip to area.

Closely observing the cast before, during and after a recent performance led to a surprising observation. Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, there was genuine excitement among the cast and crew. That excitement is surely a big part of the success the group has had. 

A visit to the theater arts room at Alba-Golden High School helps inform from where that excitement stems. The walls of the room are covered in a variety of “stream of conscience” thoughts written on posters and placards. As the students file in at class time, they each pick up a folding chair and begin forming a large circle in the room. It is a creative space, no doubt.

And a busy space at that. Four classes of theater are run by Whitecotton, and they produce a variety of offerings throughout the year. 

In the fall, a comedy sketch titled “Joe and a Show” leads off their efforts, followed by a musical (last fall was “The Little Mermaid”).  The Senior Directs program and auditions for the one-act play happen before Christmas.

The spring term is dedicated to one-act play production. Notably, a week-long theater camp for elementary school children is conducted each summer.  

Whitecotton is in her fifth year at Alba-Golden. The Winona native seems a natural for a theater program. While obtaining her undergraduate degree at Baptist Bible College, she traveled as a member of a 10-person theater troupe, performing plays at churches throughout Middle America. 

“It prepared me well for UIL competition, as we had to pack everything – our costumes and stage set – into boxes and transport them in a van, much like we do when we do a one-act play,” she offered. 

That college troupe performed plays about the lives of missionaries. Today, Whitecotton is a missionary for theater arts. After a nine-year gap in teaching to raise her children, she joined the Mineola Schools and came to run the junior theater program. When the Alba-Golden job opened up, it was a perfect fit. 

Successful programs at local schools usually involve significant efforts far beyond the job description. So it is with Whitecotton, who admitted that she has become pretty good at sewing costumes. Her husband, Steven, is also pretty handy as a carpenter, she added, and has helped create a variety of stage sets. 

Her advice to young people considering joining a theater class is simple: “Just give it a try,” she said, “It is natural to have reluctance or stage fright, but just give it a try.” 

As “Dark Road” illustrates in a frighteningly-stark fashion, celebrating individual and group humanity keeps darkness at bay.