THOMASVILLE - Brookwood School's production of the one-act play "Tea" won first place in the Georgia Independent School Association's Region 3 AAA.
At Columbus State University on Oct. 27, Brookwood's play, directed by Marc Cramer, took the top prize over Westfield of Perry, 2nd place, and Deerfield-Windsor of Albany, Ga., 3rd place.
Brookwood seniors Mickey Betters and Meredith Briscoe won two of the five Outstanding Actor Awards presented by the judges.
Other students performing in the winning production are Abby Lewis, Emily Claire Worthey, Mackenzy Martin, Colin Alderman, Davis Flowers, Katie Rumble and Hannah Jackson. Leigh Stauffer and John Moore serve on the crew.
"Tea," by Velina Hasu Houston, is about four Japanese women who had married American soldiers. They live in a small Japanese immigrant community near Fort Riley in Kansas in 1968. A fifth woman has committed suicide, and her spirit forces the women to come to terms with their own lives. The reminiscences that surface during an extended tea ceremony give an insight into their shared life experiences.
"The judges praised the lovely pictures created onstage by the costumes and scenery, as well as the tremendous ensemble work of the cast that drew them into the story," said Brookwood Assistant Headmaster David Grooms."One judge noted that the powerful acting had brought tears to her eyes as they told the story."
Brookwood has won the One Act Play state championship three times in the past seven years.
Grooms said that Brookwood's production will compete with other first and second-place regional winners at the statewide GISA AAA One Act Competition on Nov. 11 at Darton College in Albany.
