Franklin High School Theater Company’s presentation of  The Yellow Boat, a play based on the tragic story of a child with congenital hemophilia, reached the State Finals of this year’s competitive Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild (METG) festival.

The 32 Franklin High School students, including cast and crew, staged The Yellow Boat in the State Finals at John Hancock Hall in Boston on March 28. The Franklin High School Theater Company was one of 15 groups to make the State Finals for the Massachusetts High School Drama Festival held by METG, out of 88 schools that entered the competition during the preliminary round.

The festival, which calls on each group to perform a 40-minute, one-act play, also includes a preliminary round and a semifinal round, with each stage judged by a team of METG Adjudicators. 

“It’s a real privilege to be with these kids. They are a really magical group,” said Franklin High School Drama Director Chloe Selznick, who is in her first year leading the program. “We’re all just very grateful. When we took group photos at the State Finals, instead of saying ‘cheese,’ the kids would say, ‘We weren’t supposed to be here!’ There’s a lot of gratitude within the company.”

The Franklin High School Theater Company was assisted in its production of The Yellow Boat by Erin Ferreira, who came on as a volunteer to be the show’s movement director and assistant director. Franklin High School student Riley MacDonald served as the production’s dramaturg, providing classmates with a research package containing insight into the context of the play, showing how the story should be handled with sensitivity and truthfulness.

Throughout the METG festival, the Franklin High School students witnessed 25 plays staged by drama groups from other schools in the matter of a month.

“Most people won’t see one play in a year, let alone see that many,” Selznick said. “It was a real treat all around. It was a wonderful experience. There was a lot of support. Now, afterwards, there’s a lot of gratitude.”

The METG Festival is a prestigious annual event for high school theater companies, and this marked the 94th year of the competitive drama festival.

METG also has a middle school division and a musical theater division. In addition to the annual METG Festival held in March, the organization also facilitates a series of acting and technical theater scholarship contests held in December.

This experience with the METG Festival will provide some momentum for the Franklin High School Theater Company ahead of its next production, a musical called Urinetown, with showings planned for June 13-14.

“We are so impressed by the incredible skills and abilities of our stage performers, crew and everyone involved with staging this play,” Principal Weber said. “They possess great individual talents and also display incredible teamwork. Bravo to our students for an incredible run in the METG Festival. And bravo to Director Selznick for the guidance she is providing to this talented group.”

“I’d like to congratulate all of our stage performers and crew members who really put their hearts into these shows,” Superintendent Giguere said. “Their passion, talent and skills are inspirational. They really did a great job with this play. I’d also like to recognize Director Selznick and our other teachers, along with parents and all of our Franklin High School Theater Company supporters, who help make all of this possible.”