Special to the News & Record

The Halifax County Drama Team traveled to Stafford County last Saturday to compete in the Virginia High School League Northwest Region Theater Competition.

In a field of seven teams, the Comets came away with a strong third place finish behind the home team from Mountain View and second place Osbourne High School.

The Comets' production of "Deliver Us Not" was well received by the audience and judges of the event and barely missed a trip to the VHSL State Theater Competition.

One strong consolation was the placement of two Halifax actors on the All Regional Team. The top five actors selected by the judges are awarded medals for the Regional All Star Cast. Halifax County was the only school to have more than one actor selected for the honor. Evan Smith and Phillip Saunders were the top vote getters for the Comets.

Although disappointed not to be going on in the competition, it was good ending to the season for the team. It was the first time in many years that Halifax has fielded a team, and they won the Western Valley District on the way to the Regional event. Their strong showings in both district and regional events demonstrate that the local program can stand among some of the best in the state.

Becky Donner, head of the school's Drama Department,  also feels that the students' performances reflect the strength of the overall theatre program at the school.  The Halifax County High School's Drama Department has been producing exceptional plays for many years and has given many students an opportunity to put their talents on display. All three of the actors from the competition play are veterans of previous school productions and are also featured in key roles in the school's upcoming production of "Disney's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL."

Director Greg Donner is optimistic about the future of the competition process and extremely proud of the performance of the team. He notes, "All three of our actors were voted to the District All Star Cast and two were named to the All Regional Cast. That is about as strong a showing as you can make. I am very pleased with our performance."