Plano West has a long history of excellence in theatre. So far this year, they have performed Marcus is Walking, Cinderella, and a one-act play titled After the Fall. One-act plays are different from other shows that West puts on due to the fact that they participate in a University Interscholastic League competition against other schools. Plays must range from 18 to 40 minutes long, and the sets must be constructed from only UIL approved materials. The Texas UIL one-act play contest is the largest high school play festival or competition in the world, and was founded in 1927. After the Fall advanced at the Zone one-act competition that took place on Sat., March 24 at Marcus High School in Flower Mound, and was one of only four shows to move on to the District competition on Tues., April 3. After District, there is an Area meet, then Regional, and then a Statewide meet on May 21-23 that takes place in Austin. After the Fall is the first West show to move on in three years.

“The last few years, West has attempted a lot of very daring shows, like the Greek tragedy Electra set in nazi Germany,” senior Kiersten Mock said. “This year’s show is also daring, but in complexity, not as much in content. It’s different, and we are able to pull it off, which makes it a great show.”

After the Fall is an autobiographical play written by Arthur Miller that looks back on Miller’s own life, and all of the mistakes he made, what it was like to be tried as a communist during the red scare, and if it’s possible to be human and innocent. Characters are based off of people that were important in Miller’s life.

“The characters in After the Fall are all very mature, developed characters that seem very real because they are based on real people,” Mock said.