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Four schools competed in subsections at PAHS on Saturday, with Sauk Centre taking first, Browerville second, Paynesville third, and Royalton fourth. Sauk Centre and Browerville now advance to section competition.

PAHS also hosted a one-act play festival last week, with Eden Valley-Watkins, New London-Spicer, and Paynesville all presenting their one-act plays on Tuesday, Jan. 24.

Susan (Lauren Vaske) watches in horror as another student (Ralph Daby) gets a scholarship at graduation from the prinicpal (Katie Schlick).

Sixteen PAHS students presented "The Cards of Fate," by Ed Monk, which follows a television game show that influences the fates of people. Nick the Contestant (Peder Thompson) dreams of winning big cash prizes like he does when watching the show at home but finds it difficult to know the correct trivia answers on camera.

His incorrect answers cause fates to be turned. Bob (Dugan Flanders) plans a dream prom date (limousine, fancy dinner, and beautiful girl), but it vanishes after Nick's incorrect answer, as Beth (Erica Geurts) informs him that she and her boyfriend have reconciled.

Susan (Lauren Vaske) hopes for a high SAT score, but after Nick's incorrect answer her mother (Lindsey Pelton) opens the envelop and finds terrible test scores. At least Susan can get a scholarship to truck-driving school, her mother adds. Susan, it turns out, doesn't even get a high school diploma, sitting through the commencement ceremony and then having it announced that her name should not have been listed among the graduating class.

Larry (Brad Hemmesch) thinks he has a dream roommate at college in co-ed Bambi (Cary Schlick), but again the fates turn after Nick's failure to answer a question and he ends up with a punk rocker (Ralph Daby) for a roommate.

Larry (Brad Hemmesch) thinks his new college roommate Bambi (Cary Schlick) is great but ends up with a punk musician due to a turn of fate.

Finally, when Nick fails to name five famous pigs, getting stuck on four (Porky, Petunia, Wilbur, and the Little Pig That Went to Market), Alice (Jayna Flanders) learns that her father has had a heart attack.

In the final round, a seven-year-old girl faces a brain scan for a tumor with a correct answer bringing a clean bill of health and a wrong answer bringing a terminal case. Nick then refuses to play, and the host (Caitlin Lien) calls for Otto the Executioner (Hemmesch) to force Nick to play or pay. (Nick failed to read the fine print of his contract, which forces him to finish.)

However, the play, directed by Joan Nevitt, ends with this cliffhanger.

This is the fourth year for a revived one-act play at PAHS. In 2003, PAHS placed second (out of seven schools) at subsections and advanced to sections. In 2004, PAHS hosted subsections and tied for fourth (out of eight schools). Last year, subsections was held at Sauk Centre, and Paynesville placed third (out of four schools). This year, PAHS placed third again out of four schools at subsections.

Parents Shawn Reinke and Kristi Louis await results from their daughter's brain scan during the last fateful episode of "The Cards of Fate."

The cast and crew began practices for "The Cards of Fate" in December with readings in the library. They started rehearsals in the auditorium in January.

More pictures.

Cast of Characters
The Cards of Fate
Buffy the Host: Caitlin Lien
Nick the Contestant: Peder Thompson
Cinnamon the Announcer: Karla Leitzman
Bob: Dugan Flanders
Bob's Friend: Jayna Flanders
Beth: Erica Geurts
Susan: Lauren Vaske
Susan's Mother: Lindsey Pelton
Principal: Katie Schlick
Scholarship Winner: Ralph Daby
Bambi: Cary Schlick
Larry: Brad Hemmesch
Punk: Ralph Daby
Alice: Jayna Flanders
Jennifer's Mother: Kristi Louis
Jennifer's Father: Shawn Reinke
Nurse: Sid Moser
Otto the Executioner: Brad Hemmesch
Booth Voice: Sid Moser

Director: Joan Nevitt
Lights and Sound: Shawn Reinke and Jeremy Schmidt
Set Design: Lindsey and Ian Pelton