The Kamsack Comprehensive Institute senior drama club returned from the Region 4 Drama Festival held in Esterhazy April 6, 7 and 8 with the award for being the best overall production.
The play, entitle Moving by Lindsay Price, which was directed by Krystal Deveau, the senior English language arts educator, was also named the runner-up for the best visual production, and members of the production were singled out for their work.
Breanna Bland won the Cheer Award and a certificate of merit; Shaelyn Matwijeczko received a technical award of merit; Allison Thomsen received an acting award of merit, and Alanna Finnie was the runner-up for the Mary Ellen Burgess Performance Award.
Because of its showing at the regional festival, which had a total of nine plays, the KCI group has qualified to re-stage the play at the provincial drama festival in Regina on May 4, 5 and 6.
This is the first time in recent memory that a KCI entry has qualified to advance to the provincial competition where 12 plays will be in competition.
“You captivated me from the very first scene,” said Bradley Hayward, the front-of-house adjudicator, following the performance in Esterhazy. “Your group took a very simple play and turned it into a unique and diverse play.
“Your play reminded me of a very important and fun time when there were no cell phones,” Hayward said. “It was very nostalgic.”
“Your group worked very well together backstage,” said Kelly Brophy, the backstage adjudicator at the festival. “Everyone was calm and knew what he or she was doing.
“Your set was very safe and fun,” Brophy said. “It was really apparent that this cast and crew had a strong bond and it showed in the performance.”
Following this week’s Easter break, members of the cast and crew of Moving plan to be holding rehearsals and/or workshops each day until the provincial competition on May 4.
At the regional competition, the Norquay School senior drama club staged Anne-Arky, a comedy, also by Lindsay Price. It was directed by Barry Chorneyko and Nicole Silvius.
In it, Elena Gustafson was presented with one of the festival’s nine Cheer awards and Calum Livingstone and Micah Johnson received certificates of merit having exhibited acting excellence.
