The Carolina Forest Thespian Society is among one of the best organizations at Carolina Forest High School. Recently, they worked extremely hard to produce “And!”, where they showed off their acting skills. Although there was no in-person attendance, the production was extremely successful, and the National Thespian Society performed very well. 

The students who participated in the “And!” production worked long hours and exhibited lots of dedication. The cast included Colton Bray, Samantha Holman, Hannah Kate Hawver, Ariana Giannuzzi, Caroline Floyd, Briar Watson, Emily Gibbons, Ethan Irizarry, Fallon Tomlin, Gabriel Garcia, Joseph Burkhard, Luke Kraus, Owen Egloff, Paris Middleton, Rylian Hancheck, Jakai Norfleet, and Abigail Sitarik.

The production team was rated Superior for Film and Editing, Superior for ensemble, and Superior for the play itself.  Hannah Kate Hawver won a Superior for her Stage Managing IE and a scholarship.  Colton Bray, the lead of the play, won a Superior for his portrayal of Aaron.  Sam Holman, Caroline Floyd, and Paris Middleton were given the award of Excellent for their characters.  Gabe Garcia, Ariana Giannuzzi, and Luke Kraus won Honorable Mentions.

When asked about the most enjoyable aspects of the production, Theresa Cox, who teaches and leads the thespian society, said “Seeing the students doing something after so long without a performance or a production and the challenge of taking what we know to be a live show on stage and transforming it into a recorded performance.”

With Coronavirus being a factor in almost every aspect of life, it also caused the the students to face certain challenges they wouldn’t normally face. 

“Navigating the difference between performing for the stage and performing for a camera.  Also, not having the typical bonding and camaraderie that comes with working on a show together because we didn’t have much time together as a cast,” added Cox.

Samantha Holman, a senior in the production, said, “Producing ‘And!’ was an amazing experience that I am glad I was a part of. It touched sensitive subjects, was full of humor and was a great chance to create some theatre during the pandemic.”

Congratulations to the amazing students and instructors on this amazing production of “And!”