WORLAND — Worland’s aspiring thespians are taking their act to Laramie today.

The Worland High School Drama club is headed to the state competition which begins today in Laramie. The club hopes to defend its state title, having won the contest last year. Students will perform a variety of acts and styles, with others competing in costume and set design.

Students will perform two, sometimes emotional, one-act plays at the competition, including a piece that won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Margaret Edson’s “Wit” tells the story of Dr. Vivian Bearing (Alex Mulhall), a cold-hearted English professor at an unnamed college campus. WHS Drama instructor Rick Dorn called the character the “scariest woman on campus.”

Bearing falls ill with terminal cancer and, as she reflects on her life, she realizes that she is incredibly lonely.

Dorn said, to his knowledge, the play has never been performed at the state competition and that first-time performances are viewed well by the judging crew.

“We figured you can’t get much better than taking a Pulitzer Prize-winning play,” Dorn said.

Students will also perform “Trapped with the Giggles,” a play written by WHS Drama students. In “Trapped,” Lucy (Mackenzie Cottrell) suddenly finds herself trapped with the characters from her favorite TV show, “The Giggles.”

Lucy reflects back on her life in which she treated her peers poorly. Reflecting on specific events, it is learned that Lucy may have caused the death of a classmate.

In addition to the plays, students will give performances in the monologue and duet categories.

Not just acting

Drama students will also be competing in areas that the public normally doesn’t get to see.

Students will submit proposed set designs for performances with others submitting costume designs. Others will compete in makeup design.

Overall, Dorn said he is optimistic that the drama club will earn its second consecutive state title. In 2014, the drama club edged out Powell High School by a single point.