The competitive performing arts team and several performing arts students from Nansemond River High School rendered award-winning performances at a major Virginia Theater Association Event last month.

Students, with teacher Joleen Neighbours, attended the Annual Conference and High School Theater Festival in Norfolk on Oct. 23-26.

Performing the play “AP Theater,” directed by Neighbours, the school’s competitive performing arts team won Honorable Mention for the state.

Neighbours and her student assistant directors, Emily Hunter and Kenneth Galderisi, also won a State Technical Merit award for the production, while Best Actor in State went to Nansemond River junior Rodney McKeithan and senior Cody Edwards and sophomore Savannah Miller were named All-State Actors.

That wasn’t all for Miller: The budding playwright also won the State High School New Play Full-Length and One-Act Play state titles. Her plays were judged alongside new plays from high school students across Virginia.

Other playwriting awards to Nansemond River students included a first place overall in the annual On-the-Spot Playwrighting Competition to Liz Foshe, and third place overall to Kristen Lair-Baker.

Maia Micou received honorable mention in the state costume design competition.

Besides all the awards, Neighbours says Nansemond River seniors received more than 50 callbacks after auditioning for collegiate and university performing arts programs.

Nansemond River students are set to perform Disney’s “Cinderella” in December, “Legally Blonde: The Musical” in March, and a series of one-acts in June.