2023 marks the 57th anniversary of the South Carolina Theatre Association (SCTA) convention. From November 2nd through the 5th, 23 schools from all over the state performed one-act plays, attended workshops, and met with peers. The main event was the one-act play competition. Each school brought a show that had to meet certain criteria in order to be considered. The shows had to be under 45 minutes and all of it had to be student run (from the light board, to the sound, to the acting, and scene transitions). Additionally, all set pieces had to fit into a ten foot by ten foot square.
The shows performed ranged in variety from musicals, like Once On This Island, to classics with a twist, like a Star Wars Romeo and Juliet. Others included Wiley and the Hairy Man, The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, and Barbie, Get Real!
CCES won first place in the One-Act Play Competition with the production of Sillyheart. Second place was awarded to North Myrtle Beach Highschool for their production of Superhots!, a hot sauce centered musical. Lexington High School, Woodmont High School, and Northwestern High School placed third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
When asked about his thoughts regarding the CCES victory, Director Reed Halvorson stated that he “couldn’t believe it”. He went on to say that he “was excited about the opportunity for [Sillyheart] to represent our school and the state one more time, and that our story wasn’t done.”
Junior and cast member Brooke Morgan said “all of the schools were supportive of each other, and it felt like our hard work paid off. Even though it was a competition, everyone was happy for one another.”
CCES theatre members placed in more than just the one-act play competition. Senior Fritz Heigel and Freshman Cameron Wilkie were both a part of the All State Cast, and Sophomore Camila Lopez-Jordan won best supporting actress. Additionally, Sophomore Addy Lyon auditioned for, and was cast in, one of the 10 minute plays performed by SCTA attendees. To round off our schools already long list of awards, our production team (Grady McEvoy, John King, Lisa Allen, Leighann Markalunas, Jenny Baldwin, Mary Bennett Greene) won overall Best Technical Production.
In March of 2024, the CCES cast and crew of Sillyheart are headed to Mobile, Alabama for the 75th Southeastern Theatre Conference. CCES will see one final March performance of the show before taking it back to competition. So if you missed Sillyheart the first time, or even if you want to watch it again, you’ll have another chance to see the best play in the state!
