Seventeen students in the school’s acting company, Troupe, prepared to glimmer like gold at the WCPSS talent showcase Pieces of Gold March 8.

According to Marie Jones, the school’s drama teacher and director for the performance the students who are participating were selected by a panel of professional judges at auditions held Dec. 2 and 3.

The Troupers performed a piece that they wrote together called, “Prometheus,” which tells the story of Prometheus who stole fire from the gods and was punished for giving it to mankind.

“With fire, mankind was able to develop a civilization and better themselves, but with fire, mankind also did some damage,” Jones said.

The essence of the piece is that there are two sides to every question and more than one answer, so there is no right or wrong way to think.

“What we learn is that you need both creative chaos and organized step-by-step thinking to be successful in this world,” Jones said.

This central message was presented to the audience in the form of a three-minute wrap.

“We have a few props that we use, and we are going to have costumes, but for the most part it is very interactive with the audience, so they don’t need a set to know what’s going on,” senior Seneca Billingsley said. “It’s said in a way like a continuous rhyme.”

Another aspect that made this piece unique is that there were no lead roles, so there is a focus on the students as a whole rather than as individuals.

“If we were to make one person only have a few lines, it would take away from that part of the story,” Billingsley said.

Performing a group piece is not something new for the Troupers, and all of their experience together has helped them with their delivery on stage.

“They are one of the most perfect ensembles I’ve ever seen,” Jones said. “They function as one person, and it’s phenomenal.”

For some Troupers, performing at the Pieces of Gold event was a new encounter.