NC Standing Ovation competes in One Act
Kennesaw Mountain fills with cheer as they bring home the first place trophy for One-Act the third time in a row. After endless hours of rehearsal Carson Colenbaugh received Best Actor and the whole show won an award for Best Ensemble. The cast comes together and continues on rehearsing as they gear up for the statewide competition on November the 4th.
November 8, 2017
On Saturday, October 28, NC’s Standing Ovation put on the Broadway musical Hands on a Hardbody. Six high schools in the Cobb County region came together and competed in the annual One-Act competition. Each school puts on their show in less than 55 minutes while judges criticize the details of the show.
Hands on a Hardbody takes a glimpse into the lives of ten Texans as they all compete to win a truck. Lead roles JD Drew and Benny Perkins, played by sophomore Deandre Mallory and senior Jordan Hicks, capture what it truly means to drive a truck.
NC placed fourth overall in the competition and the all-star cast awards went to junior Chloe Vernex-Loset and sophomore Jose Chirinos-Moreno. This award goes to up to two members of the show that stood out in their performance.
“Winning the all-star cast award was a shock. I felt really proud of what I had accomplished, especially since it was my first competition show. I put everything into this show and even though we didn’t win, we really pulled through,” Vernex-Loset said.
North Paulding placed third in the competition with the play: A Doll’s House. This family drama showcased actors Evan Taylor and Harrison Campbell as they found the true meaning of marriage and self-worth. Evan Taylor received the all-star cast award for his outstanding performances.
Hillgrove’s theater program hosted the competition this year and performed the only other musical, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown. Miller Sinyard steps into Charlie Brown’s shoes and tells the story of his family, friends, and his beloved dog Snoopy. Hillgrove brought home second place, as well as an all-star cast award for Henrique Sobrinho, Best Actress award for Caroline Caden and Best Set award.
Hillgrove high school places second in the competition with their amazing performance of the broadway musical You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown. The crew worked incredibly hard to put together the amazing set of Charlie Brown’s house, backyard, and baseball field. Supporting actor Caroline Caden won best actress and the whole show won Best Set and Best Sound.
Kennesaw Mountain placed first this year for the third time in a row with their performance of Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allen Poe. Edgar Allen Poe, played by Carson Colenbaugh, lives a mysterious life full of people who both fear and love him. Lead actor Carson Colenbaugh received the Best Actor award and made Poe’s dreams come alive. The school also brought home the award for Best Ensemble.
This competition allowed students to perform their shows in front of hundreds of theatre students and directors. Although NC did not take home a trophy, cast and crew members of Hands On A Hardbody put their time and effort into making this show an amazing experience for all audiences. This marks the end of One-Act season and the start for the countdown until next year’s competition.
All six competing high schools won awards for their hard working actors and actresses. The all-star cast award usually goes to two members in each show who stand out in the performance. NC junior Chloe Vernex-Loset and sophomore Jose Chirinos won the awards for NC’s performance Hands On A Hardbody.
“This year we didn’t place or win any awards as a whole cast and crew, but I’m still so incredibly proud of this whole group. We put his show together from scratch in a black box theatre and came out and gave it all we had. We worked so well as a team to achieve our greatest goal: to perform and have fun doing it,” Hicks said.
