FUHS Theatre won first place in the Southern California Thespian One Act Festival, advancing their production of “The Yellow Boat” to the main stage at the 2018 California State Thespian Conference this month.

The play, which recounts the real-life experiences of eight-year-old Benjamin Saar who died in 1987 of AIDS-related complications, chronicles Benjamin’s short life through drawings he used to express his uneasiness whilst living with the illness.

Junior Isley Duarte, who plays the role of Joy and Teacher #3, feels that Benjamin’s story is one that especially strikes the heartstrings of anyone who hears it.

“The real life parallels it draws, the fact that this is someone’s story, that’s what sets it apart for me,” said Duarte. “After seeing it, you want to hold your loved ones tight.”

The Southern California Thespian One Act Festival was held at Los Alamitos High School. The competition called for thirty-minute one act plays by each performing school.

“We went up against several other schools that are very talented and that we’ve seen and know,” said Duarte.

“We won first place in Southern California and I was really shocked,” said Duarte. “But I felt that it kind of gave us the validation to keep going and say, ‘you know what? This is an important story.’”

Nonetheless, Duarte feels that the win not only brought the actors closer to the story, but came with the realization that a story like this needs people’s attention.

“We went in kind of unsure, and we wondered if people would understand what we were trying to do,” said Duarte. “But [this play] really does give a voice to the voiceless, it really does have an impact on people.”

The show aims to showcase the magnitude of situations like Benjamin’s and highlight the effect they  have on children. Allowing the audience to see through Benjamin’s eyes, the show heartbreakingly conveys the sorrow, pain and confusion that comes with illness.

“There’s a lot of imagery and symbolism,” said Duarte. “Through this play, [Benjamin] is given a voice, through things that are familiar to him, like rainbows, shapes, colors, and feelings.”

Similar in style to productions done in the past, such as “Women of Lockerbie” and “Bang, Bang You’re Dead”, the show’s retelling of a real life event is done in a fairly unique way, with the onstage ensemble stretching elastics to replicate the pictures Benjamin describes.  

“It’s a kid’s mind, everything is fun,” said Duarte. “I think [the simplicity of a kid’s mind] is the reason why were able to take something as simple as four long elastics and make them into something that told a story.”

Because of the taboo surrounding the conversation about HIV and AIDS, Duarte feels Benjamin’s story not only removes the stigma, but gives more insight into the disease’s harrowing effects.

“[The play] talks about the AIDS epidemic, which most kids don’t know about or weren’t alive for,” said Duarte. “It was so misunderstood, there still is an incredible taboo.”

“This show where a child has it [AIDS] unbeknownst to him, can perhaps give people who are ignorant, or don’t know any better, a clue into the fact that this happens, and that it doesn’t always happen on purpose.”