By CONNIE NOLEN / Community Columnist

PHS Theatre enjoyed a triumphant November. Its fall production, “Almost, Maine,” led to enormous wins at District Competition, the community performance of the show was a great success and several of the students enlarged their celebrity status on a local television morning show promoting the play before the opening.

“Friday night was a flawless performance,” PHS Theatre teacher Jamie Stephenson said. “I was so happy that the kids got to experience that high of a job well done.”

District Trumbauer competition yielded huge wins with superior awards for studio theatre, best actor Matt Hill and actress Hunter Savage, best supporting actor John Kennedy and actress Kayla Turner. Superiors in solo musical and duet musical were awarded to seven PHS students while 17 PHS students snagged superiors in solo and duet acting comedic and dramatic performances. Superior sound design was awarded to Hannah Boutwell and all star cast awards went to Lydia Cobb, Caylin Cobb and Brooke Thompson.

While Stephenson and her students are enjoying these accolades, they’re also looking ahead to their next challenges. Spring productions will include a comedy titled “The Foreigner,” the poignant play penned by Tennessee Williams, “The Glass Menagerie,” and finally—Senior Directed One Acts.

Beyond the spring productions, Stephenson has ground-breaking plans for PHS Theatre that extend far beyond the walls of the high school auditorium.

“We want to create a traveling high school theatre group to stage performances and lead workshops at our feeder schools. Our 2015 musical will be ‘The Wiz.’ I want to include the elementary, intermediate and middle school students in the production,” Stephenson said.

Committed to connecting the Pelham arts community to the schools, Stephenson is interested in being a part of the formation of a Pelham Arts Council consisting of community artists, arts lovers and civic leaders who would promote the arts, apply for grants and celebrate artistry in Pelham.

“We want to foster a love of theatre in our elementary, intermediate, middle and high school students,” said Stephenson.

A Pelham Arts Council would serve a vital role in promoting the arts for our students—and our community.