This past weekend, Bob Jones’ Patriot Players represented the entire state of Alabama at SETC (South Eastern Theater Conference) with their award winning one-act play, The Axeman’s Requiem.

SETC is a highly competitive, and an equally difficult competition. A school cannot just simply enter the competition. A school must first top ones district competition and then excel to become either the second or first place in their state level competition. Then and only then are they permitted to compete and represent their entire state at the SETC.

This is the highest caliber of high school theater competition. Consisting of 20 different schools, two from each of ten southeastern states, each school there were competing for a variety of awards.

Three members of the Patriot Players received the “All-Star cast award”. This includes seniors Anna McAbee, Emily McDowell, and Daniel Darnell.

Another four members received the award “Best small ensemble”. This includes Olivia Carroll, Briana Caudle, Anna Spengler, and Abby Hubbard.

Bob Jones also won the award for “Best set”. Our three Senior Tech Directors, Sierra Anderson, Kenji Tyler, and Ryan Knowling received this award.

The Bob Jones Patriot Players are a student lead program that involves many different students with many different positions. Not only does it involve the dozen or so faces you see on-stage, but also there are many stagehands and techies that spend hours creating the beautiful (now award winning) set you see. As well as their being costumers that create the clothes and make up for the actors working to bring the show to life.

This year’s show The Axeman’s Requiem offered many new attributes and attractions than shows in the past. Live music was a large part in that. The feeling of Mardis Gras is captured in the act of parade members and street performers: vocals, guitar, saxophone, trombone, as well as trumpet. The use of live music not only utilizes and shows the talent of the cast, but also helps to pull the audience into the world they are creating.

When Senior Tech Director, Kenji Tyler, was asked what effects were used exclusively to this year’s show how they contributed to the overall effect he responded, “This year we had the art teachers come in and help with the perspective and that perspective formulated the different types of angles in the street scenes. Also the black lights hidden in the streetlights helped add an ominous effect to the Baron and Loa scenes.”

Along with Kenji, senior costumer Mackenzie Porten was asked a similar question: what things exclusive to this years show were done to help attribute to this years success? She responded with “Well it’s a combination of things. Craft writing his own play gives us an extra edge every year, because we can manipulate it to individual actors so that it works as smoothly as it can. As far as the costumers, we had four all new costumers, Samantha Bailey, Serena Davis, Yanzhi Lai, and I. So having four people’s ideas designing costumes versus the usual one or two costumers helped. Of course we can’t do anything without Mrs. Shari Kingsford though. And JP was a huge asset this year. He has knowledge of various make-up techniques. And the effect is obvious from the crowds reaction to Daniel Darnell as the baron every show. Everyone wanted to take pictures with the guy on stilts at the end. You know the show was going well when the crowd gasped when he entered.”

To get a final insight on what might be the cause of Patriot Players continuous victories and success, Actor and musician Dominick Lewis was interviewed. Dominick’s reply was “Probably Craft. He’s taught me everything I know, and a lot of people will say the same. He’s fully committed to us, and that’s what keeps us going.”

From each persons statement some general themes tend to surface. First of all the unique-ness and creativity of the shows, and the ways they approach it, as well as the dedication and guidance of Craft and other teachers here at Bob Jones. It would be no surprise in years to come if the shows continue to develop and use more and more creative ways to engage the audience. And of course, continue to succeed and bring awards home