James Clemens Theatre captures SETC awards

Accepting SETC awards for James Clemens are Becky Protos, from left, All-Star Cast; Jessica Russ, Best Supporting Actress; Omar Maldonado, student tech director; Brandon Berryhill, SETC stage manager; Gabby Esposito, stage manager; Ragan Bledsoe, Costume Crew Chief; and Trey Buis, All-Star Cast. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON – James Clemens Theatre earned top awards for technical crew, acting and makeup at Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) in Greensboro, N.C. on March 2-6.

James Clemens’ one-act play, “Silenced on Barbour Street,” competed with 20 schools from 10 Southeastern states.

“Our tech crew is the best in the Southeastern United States because they’re so incredibly professional, respectful and courteous backstage,” technical theatre teacher Clint Merritt said. “They work well together and like this is their job. They’re fast, quiet and maintain high expectations.”

“The festival director said she was incredibly impressed by James Clemens Tech Crew because they were polished and smooth,” theatre teacher Amy Patel said. Each school had 45 minutes to set up, perform and strike the set. The script ran close to 43 minutes, giving the crew 45 seconds for setup and less than one minute to strike.

Jessica Russ won “Best Supporting Actress” as Althea. “Her short but powerful scene involved racial discrimination and a mother’s love for her children,” Merritt said.

Althea (Russ) confronts a woman who told her to go to the back of the concession line, making Althea late in returning to her children when the fire started. “More time, that’s all I wanted,” Althea (Russ) says about her children.

Trey Buis and Becky Protos were named to “All-Star Cast.” Buis portrayed Robert Segee, a tortured young man, abused and burned as a child. “Trey was only onstage about five minutes. In two scenes, he didn’t speak. His award is a testimony to the strength of his performance,” Patel said.

Mae (Protos) dies in the circus fire but refuses facing guilt. Tension builds when Protos’ “struggle and ultimate catharsis helped close the play,” Merritt said.

“Silenced on Barbour Street” also earned “Best Makeup.” Crew Chief Ragan Bledsoe led eight makeup artists in the three-hour transformation of 49 actors with looks of everyday people, circus performers and horrific burn victims. “The burns were frightening and looked very real,” Patel said.

Eleven James Clemens students auditioned for universities and received 421 callbacks for interviews or further performing. “The state, City of Madison and James Clemens should be incredibly proud of the students of James Clemens,” Merritt said.