GBHS drama students clean up at districts
BY FRANKLIN HAYES Gulf Breeze News franklin@gulfbreezenews.com

Franklin Hayes/Gulf Breeze News From left to right: Allison Zangari, 16, Kendall Matthews, 17, and Elizabeth Stein, 18 at a recent GBHS Drama practice.

Gulf Breeze High School (GBHS) drama students won a slew of awards at district competition last month, earning a spot in statewide competition in April. The teenage thespians won well over 20 different awards and recognitions with limited preparation, most of which took place during the time they were rehearsing for their Jan. 5 production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie."

"It's a great feeling to go out and show everybody what you've been working on," 17-year-old Kendall Matthews said. Matthews and five other students received a Critic's Choice recognition from judges in the ensemble acting category for their performance of a scene from "The Insanity of Mary Girard."

The Victorian-era play depicts a young woman's slippery descent into madness. Matthews played the part of Girard and her counterparts filled roles known only as furies. The furies are intended to be spirits or other patients from the insane asylum who push Gerard down the road toward mental instability.

GBHS senior Elizabeth Stein, who also received the critic's choice nod for her performance as a fury, said the piece centered on the cast's ability to coordinate choreographed lines and movements.

"It was our last year and we wanted to do something big," Stein said.

GBHS junior Allison Zangari, who also played one of the furies, said it was difficult to balance rehearsal time between their district competition piece and "Thoroughly Modern Millie."

"We were having to help build sets and make costumes a week before [district competition]," she said. "You had to really say when you were going to do each thing or you'd just completely blow up, which I thought I was going to do."

GBHS Drama teacher Margie Timmons was also presented an award on Jan. 29 for her achievement in directing "Thoroughly Modern Millie" which ran Jan. 5-6 at the Saenger Theater in Pensacola.

The district competition award winners were: Kirstie Stivers, Excellent, Category of Monologues; Maddy Buxton, Excellent, Category of Monologues;

Kendall Matthews, Superior, Category of Monologues; Elizabeth Stein, Superior, Category of Monologues; Jordan Huffmaster and Brittany Lavin, excellent, Duet Acting;

Maddy Buxton, Megan Miller, Amanda Smith, Caroline Atkinson, Kelsea Naggatz, Austin Smith, Excellent, Ensemble Acting;

Kendall Matthews, Liz Stein, Daniel Lynch, Maci deMahy, Bayleigh Boles, Allison Zangari, Superior and Critic's Choice, Ensemble Acting; Jackie Robinson, Excellent, Student Directing;

Maddy Buxton, Excellent, Student Directing ; Julia Green, Excellent, Publicity Design; Kendall Matthews, Superior, Publicity Design; Pat Hudson, Excellent, Playwriting;

Amanda Ellis, Superior and Critics Choice, Playwriting; Victoria Coker, Excellent, Solo Musical ; Melanie Matthews, Superior, Solo Musical ; Kate Turner, Superior, Solo Musical ;

Hailey Amberson and Julia Green, Superior, Duet Musical ; Derik Lawson and Annie Godwin, Excellent, Duet Musical; Liz Peters and Meredith Almond, Excellent,

Caroline Atkinson, Maci deMahy, Bayleigh Boles, Kelsea Naggatz, Amanda Ellis and Jacqueline Unzicker, Superior, Small Group Musical; and Michele Moody, Melanie Matthews, Kate Turner, Victoria Coker, Jackie Robinson, Hailey Amberson, Jordan Law, Brandon Timmons, Superior and Critic's Choice, Large Group Musical.