At the annual Garcia Theatre Project at the Etherredge Center, South Aiken High's Alonzo Hay took top male acting honors, and Ridge Spring-Monetta's Amber Merrit finished as the best female performer.
Their schools took first and second as well at the competition with two different plays.
The South Aiken students chose Thomas Hischak's "The Phony Physician" - a comedy centered around a woodcutter played by Hay. His wife browbeats him into pretending he's a doctor. With mostly knuckleheads surrounding him, he manages to get away with it. Visiting judges praised the students for the play choice and how they met its frenetic pace.
Merritt joined an ensemble cast in Bradley Howard's "I Don't Want to Talk About It." Moving from actor to actor, they described the challenges of teenage life - such as being accepted as they are in the face of bullying, and thoughts of suicide. The judges also approved the play as timely and the students' ability to express the real uncertainties that teenagers face.
Other participating schools were Midland Valley High School and North Augusta High School. Selected as All-Star cast members were Zach Jennings and Breelyn Hicks, North Augusta; Jordan Reeves, Ridge Spring-Monetta; and Michael Cain and Katherine Knight, Midland Valley. The top student director award ended in a tie - Krysta Etheridge, North Augusta; and Samantha Cartin, South Aiken.
The Garcia Theatre Project was established by Carlos and Karen Garcia in 2003 and coordinated from the start by USC Aiken professors Jack Benjamin and Dewey Scott-Wiley. The Garcias said they were delighted with the numbers of students involved in the productions - both actors and crew members and how they learn from the experience.
"The drama teachers deserve so much praise," Karen said, "because I'm sure they volunteer a lot of their time."
Merritt said she wanted to join the RS-M cast just to have fun, but didn't anticipate a top award. As the play emerged, she realized how important the play is, "because of its message is like our times now."
Hay enjoyed the wacky aspect of "The Phony Physician" and how the cast dove into it. When he read it, "I realized I could throw my body and my personality into it as much as possible."
Rob Novit is the Aiken Standard's education reporter.