Numerous Bob Jones drama students won individual honors at the Alabama Theatre Conference. Jonny Smith and Olivia Skillern, shown here, were among the winners. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Students of serious drama to comedic farce from Bob Jones High School won individual awards at the Alabama Conference of Theatre.

The state drama meet was held at Troy University on Dec. 6-7. Mary Davis and B. Dwayne Craft are drama instructors at Bob Jones. Students competed in several acting divisions.

In the Duet Pantomime – Novice division, Seth Slaton and Miles Strickland won first place, and Micah Persons and Bryan Worley took second place. Kayla Thompson and Marcus Mack were first-place winners in the Duet Reader’s Theatre Dramatic – Varsity category, followed by Allison Bailey and Kristin Mitchell in third place.

Dillon Slaughter and Riley Hughes earned second place for Duet Reader’s Theatre Comedic – Novice. Maggie Moore captured first place in Solo Acting Female Contemporary Comedic – Novice. Taking first place in Duet Acting Contemporary Comedic – Varsity were Jesse Tollison and Jonny Smith.

Olivia Skillern rated second place for Solo Acting Classical Dramatic – Varsity. Taylor Gilbert earned second place in Solo Acting Classical Comedic – Novice. For Playwriting – Novice, Megan McDowell captured second place.

Basia Marotta ranked in second place for Solo Musical Female Dramatic – Novice.

In other awards, Bob Jones’ production of “The Last Illusion” was “Best Play” and will advance to the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Mobile in March 2014.

When Bob Jones’ play was announced as winner, the Madison students “weren’t at all thinking about competition at that moment,” Craft said. “They were just so happy to have been at their best. It was a charged moment for all of us.”

Other winners were Megan McDowell, second place, Novice Playwriting; Basia Marotta second, Novice Solo Female – Musical Theatre Dramatic; Taylor Gilbert, second, Novice Classical Comedic Monologue; Olivia Skillern, second, Varsity Classical Comedic Monologue; and Maggie Moore, first, Novice Female – Comedic Monologue.

“We always go into competition knowing that schools like James Clemens, Mountain Brook, Spain Park, Huntsville and Grissom high schools will be awesome,” Craft said. “They always bring great shows and have talented students and directors.”