Carver High School’s ‘Raft of the Medusa’ One-Act Play Advances to UIL Bi-District Contest

A scene from Carver HS’ “Raft of the Medusa” One-Act Play.

The theater troupe from [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Carver High School will compete at the Bi-District UIL Contest in April. The troupe advanced after its performance at the District 18-6A UIL One-Act Play Contest held March 28 at Aldine High School. The students performed “Raft of the Medusa” by Joe Pintauro.

Carver’s theater troupe competed against Eisenhower, MacArthur, Aldine, Davis and Nimitz high schools. Theater troupes from Northbrook High School and Memorial High School from Spring Branch ISD also took part. But AISD schools swept the District 18-6A UIL One-Act Play Competition. Carver, Eisenhower and MacArthur advanced to the bi-district event.

Eisenhower High School’s Catherine Ewing (right) and Carver High School’s Joseph Arriaga received the Best Actress and Best Actor Awards at District 18-6A UIL One-Act Contest.

“Raft of the Medusa” opens with a man seen dying an agonizing death from AIDS. The play itself is an explosive AIDS support group session. The members discover the disease they share can divide as effectively as it conquers.

The members of the group are a diverse lot. Some of them are philosophical, some are angry, and some resigned. As the evening’s discussion progresses, they discover that one member, Larry, does not have AIDS. Instead he is a reporter who is tape recording the sessions for an article. They attack him verbally and physically until Nairobi, a homeless woman in the group, stabs Larry with a dirty syringe. She stuns the group members when she infects Larry with the virus. The reporter is hysterical.

Nairobi eventually reveals that the needle was a clean one and that she would not give the disease to her worst enemy. The other members of the group then react with a kind of awe, asking the reporter what it feels like to experience the miracle of a “cure.” The quick trauma brings them together as they each reach for their own comfort.

The drama ends with them still searching for unattainable answers.

Carver Results From District

Advancing Play — Raft of the Medusa
Best Actor — Joseph Arriaga
Best Technical — Dionne Malone
All-Star Cast — Brianna Price
Honorable Mention Medal — Kristopher Adams

Joseph Arriaga, Kristopher Adams, Jaela Adams, Joshua Austin, Treat Carrier, Kevin Crear, Yamir Ellis, Kassidy Fajardo, Ahreaile Holly, Ahreon Holly, Dionna Malone, Shola Ojesina, Bishop Pearsall, Brianna Price, Kiera Prusmack, Jayla Rhodes, Aziza Robinson, Brianna Rodríguez, India Sherman, Rikia Stewart, Trenten Thomas and Kyle Ward comprised the cast and crew of the play.

Roshunda Jones and Jabari Collins direct the troupe.

Carver High School along with Eisenhower High School and MacArthur High School will compete at the Bi-District Contest. The UIL event will start at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 11 at the [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Berry Center in Cypress, TX. The campuses invite folks to come out to support the students. Admission to the event is $10.

Carver High School’s cast and crew of “Raft of the Medusa.”

Carver High School made U.S. News & World Report‘s Best High Schools in the U.S. [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]2014 rankings. [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Carver is a magnet school that focuses on engineering, applied technology and the arts.