Junior Kevin Dinneen, who portrayed Josh the shooter in Centreville High's play about school violence, "Bang, Bang, You're Dead," won the All-Star Acting Award at the Virginia Theatre Association.
THE COMPETITION was held Nov. 4 at the Richmond Marriott. And Centreville Theater Director Mark Rogers was quite proud of his students' achievements.
"There were over 1,000 students and 40 schools from throughout the state participating," he said. "Only 15 students were recognized, so it was quite an honor for Kevin to receive one of the top awards."
In addition, said Rogers, "Our cast and crew received superior ratings from one judge and excellent ratings from the other judge."
Also during that weekend, there was an on-the-spot playwriting competition where students had 24 hours to write and rehearse a play. And Centreville sophomore Jessica Starr — who stage managed "Bang, Bang" — and her group of five other students from different high schools won first place. They wrote a comedy called "The Art of TV," which poked fun at television and its various programs.
As for Centreville's performance of "Bang, Bang" at the VTA, Rogers said it attracted "the biggest attendance of any play, that whole weekend. The students were definitely marketing geniuses at promoting it, and their acting was just as flawless," he said. "They did a really great job with a very difficult subject."
Rogers said Centreville wanted "to bring attention to how [school violence] seems to be more and more commonplace." And doing that play, he explained, is the school's first step in joining SAVE — the Society Against Violence Everywhere.
"We donated $1 from every ticket sale to SAVE," he said. "And we're starting a SAVE chapter here at Centreville High to bring public awareness to this problem."