Ringgold High theatre troupe wins first place
Group will perform special encore for public Nov. 7
On Thursday, Nov. 7, the public is invited to see a special encore presentation of the musical “Bright Star” by International Thespian Society Troupe 8715, Ringgold High School’s awardwinning theatre troupe.
“The play is a story of love and redemption,” says Kelly Schroder, assistant director of Troupe 8715. “It’s written by Steve Martin – yes, that Steve Martin, and Edie Brickell.”
“Bright Star” is set in Appalachia during the 1920s and 1940s. It’s a story about relationships, loss and healing. “There are surprises,” says Schroder. “We’ve had gasps from the audience at some points in the performance. It’s a beautiful story.”
On Oct. 24, Ringgold High School hosted the Georgia High School Association Region 6AAA One Act Play competition. Eight schools competed by performing a one-act play under stringent guidelines. Trained judges evaluated performances on everything from how actors interacted during performances to vocal interpretations to rhythm and tempo and more.
RHS won first place in the regional competition and will go on to state level competition on Nov. 9 at Mary Persons High School in Forsythe.
“One of our students, Brianna Reaves, was chosen as best actress for the region,” says Schroder.
The RHS theater troupe has been racking up awards the past few years. In 2017, after not competing for years, RHS earned 5th place in the regional One Act Play competition. In 2018, they were the runners up. This year, they won first place.
In February 2019, RHS won five nominations competing at the prestigious Shuler Awards: Best Direction, Best Music Direction, Best Actress, Best Orchestration and Best Show. They won the award for Best Music Direction and performed live on Georgia Public Broadcasting at the 11th annual Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards. They have also won numerous awards in the singing category.