Final bows: Old Rochester Regional High School’s competition theater season comes to a close

MATTAPOISETT— After advancing to the Massachusetts High School Drama Festival semi-finals, the cast and crew behind “God of Carnage,” brought their set to the stage one last time Saturday, March 15 at Westford Academy in Westford.

Director Brayden Fanti said despite not advancing to the state finals, that the students had a successful day at the competition. Calder Eaton and Amanda Tomasso both received acting awards, Max Chace and Dillon Furtado received stage management awards and Clara Bonney received a costume design award.

“My kids did an absolutely stellar job in the semi-finals,” he said. “They earned themselves a standing ovation for the third performance in a row.”

This year was different for everybody. None of the students participating have been in the festival circuit before and this was Fanti’s first time directing for a competition.

“So what was new to us, so many other schools have been doing for decades,” he said.

The day was filled with shows from other schools, dance parties and learning experiences for the cast and crew. Before awards there was an hour-long dance party in the auditorium that reminded Fanti what a great day it was no matter the results.

Fanti said hearing his students feedback on how much they enjoyed the competition was one of his favorite things.

“Winning the preliminary round in our first ever time competing was unheard of and huge for our school, and speaks to the extreme amount of work that went into this production,” he said. “But above all, witnessing the bond that formed between this cast and crew for three months made every minute worth it.”

Fanti said the kids will aim to return next year to compete.

Old Rochester Regional High School’s theater season isn’t quite over just yet. The spring musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” will go on Thursday, April 10 to Saturday, April 12 at 7 p.m. The final performance will be on Sunday, April 13 at 2 p.m.