Bonny Eagle Drama Club cast and crew are state Class A winners in the Maine Drama Festival.

STANDISH — The Bonny Eagle High School Drama Club with its one-act play, “Song of Extinction,” won the 2017 Drama Festival last weekend in Falmouth.

Their winning entry, by playwright E.M. Lewis, was directed by high school teacher Rick Osann.

“It was incredibly exciting to be selected as the state Class A champion this year,” Osann said in an email to the American Journal. “We saw some spectacular performances over the weekend and were all shocked and delighted when the announcer called out Bonny Eagle High School.”

Seven students made up the cast. Dara Khin played Khim Phan; March Steiger played Max Forrestal; Emily Eberhart played Lily Forrestal; Christopher Hascall played Ellery Forrestal; Samantha Graffam played Dr. Dorsey; Brett Davis Jr. played Gill Morris; and Amelia Hanley played her violin as a live accompaniment.

Osann praised the tech crew as “dedicated,” and said about 45 students were involved with the production.

“This is a terrific group of students – all of them, cast and crew,” Osann said.

The production took home several awards.

Khin, Eberhart, Steiger and Hascall were recognized for their “outstanding performances,” Osann said, and selected as members of the all-festival cast. The entire cast was recognized with a special commendation for ensemble work.

The scenery was designed and built by the high school’s Stagecraft class, one of Bonny Eagle’s fine arts offerings, and was awarded a special commendation at the festival.

Lori Napolitano, interim principal, said the drama club had an amazing year. “The group’s success is directly related to their ability to work together as a team,” Napolitano said. “Every student, whether on the stage or behind the scenes found a way to use his/her strengths to enhance the production. I am beaming with Bonny Eagle pride.”

Osann said the play’s story revolves around a high school student who is lost while his mother is dying of cancer and father is busy trying to rescue a bug from extinction in the Bolivian rain forest.  “The student is rescued by a biology teacher who is a survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia in the 1970’s,” Osann said. 

The play is full of science and culture and music- the student plays the viola and the “song” of the title is a piece of music the student writes. 
“We found many parallels between the lives of this family and our own lives that helped make our portrayal of the story powerful,” Osann said.

Bonny Eagle High School is in SAD 6 that  includes Buxton, Frye Island, Hollis, Limington and Standish. Osann said Bonny Eagle High School is fortunate to be in a school district that is committed to the arts in education.

“The commitment of the district really does translate into a strong commitment from ech student involved in our program, and we believe that leads to a better and well-rounded education for the students,” Osann said.

The Bonny Eagle players are eligible to perform in the New England Drama Festival April 20-22 in Norwood, Mass., but won’t be going. But, Osann said they won’t be attending.

Much of the cast and crew will be performing at that time with the BEHS Select Chorus at Disney World in Florida.

Robert Lowell can be reached at 854-2577 or rlowell@keepmecurrent.com

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