Friendswood High School senior Balint Kidd, shown with the school’s theater director, Kathy Powdrell, won the judges’ choice for best performer in the University Interscholastic League’s 5A State one-act play competition May 6 in Round Rock.

A standing ovation and the judges’ choice for best performer honored Friendswood High School senior Balint Kidd in the title role of “Macbeth,” which placed sixth in the University Interscholastic League’s 5A State one-act play competition May 6 in Round Rock.

“We are so proud of Balint. Best performance in the state,” said FHS theater director Kathy Powdrell.

In addition, senior Harden Hobbs was awarded a bronze medal for honorable mention all-star cast for her portrayal of Lady Macbeth.

Friendswood High School Theatre advanced to the state meet for the first time since 2010 with an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy. On four other occasions in the past 20 years, FHS was the alternate to state, placing one school shy of advancing from a regional contest.

This was the first state appearance for FHS technical theater director Amy Thornton, who began working with UIL one-act plays two years ago.

Three of Thornton’s students advanced this year to the UIL theatrical design contest which was adjudicated May 4 in Round Rock.

The state qualifiers were sophomore Claire Gibson, 15, in costume design and junior Sara Throop, 16, and sophomore Jimmy Perry, 16, in hair and makeup design.

“Students from all over the state designed sets, costumes, hair and makeup, and a marketing plan for a hypothetical production of Ken Ludwig’s recent adaptation of Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express,’” said Thornton.

None of the FHS students placed, she said, “but they received some great feedback from the judges.”

Gibson also created the projections for OAP and was an alternate to the state meet, along with understudy Chase Thatcher, timer Jacob Mayfield and tech crew member/timer Nicolas Fantasia.

Thornton was the technical director for “Macbeth” when FHS thespians performed the full play last October at Dr. Myrlene Kennedy Auditorium on the FHS campus.

Next, Powdrell spent several months molding the show into an abridged version that would run less than 40 minutes per UIL OAP guidelines.

In Powdrell’s adaptation, the trio of Weird Sisters helped the audience focus its attention on the rise and tragic fall of the title character. At last month’s Region III contest at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Powdrell said, “The trio ensemble was awarded an honorable mention all-star cast bronze medal for their outstanding performance.”

Thornton’s tech crew for OAP included seniors James Nelson (sound), Max Bischoff (projections), Maddie Schatzke (environmental effects) and Jason Enochs and Madeline Raska (lights).

Don Maines is a freelance writer who can be reached at donmaines@att.net

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