Huntsville, Ala. – Lee High School’s Theatre Department is celebrating another milestone as its fall competition piece, A Monster Calls, earned Best in Show at the District Trumbauer Festival and will advance to the State Competition in December.
Each year, hundreds of theatre students from across Alabama participate in the Walter J. Trumbauer Festival, one of the state’s most prestigious theatre events. With more than 30 Individual Event (IE) categories—spanning acting, musical theatre, pantomime, stage management, lighting, sound, costume, and scenic design—the competition highlights the best of student artistry and technical mastery.
This year, Lee Theatre presented A Monster Calls in the One Act competition and made a commanding impression. Out of seven productions performed in District 1, A Monster Calls received Best in Show, Best Lighting, Best Sound, and Best Scenic Design. Additionally, the cast earned individual awards for All-Star Cast Member and Best Supporting Actor.
The production now advances to the State Trumbauer Festival, where it will compete against 13 other top One Acts from across Alabama for a chance to move on to the Southeastern Theatre Conference—an extraordinary honor for any high school theatre program.
In addition to the success of A Monster Calls, Lee High School students competed in more than 100 Individual Events at the district level. They collectively earned 90 Superior and 20 Excellent ratings, with many of those Superior performances advancing to State in December.
Among those heading to State are Christian Bailey, Grace Priest, Jer’nee Johns, Elijah Fuller, Sy Phillips, Chozyn Abner, Coryn Miller, Emylee Drummond, Lyryk Fullenwider, Vailynn Buckboro, Alivia Toney, Christopher Hart, Savannah Sumner, Logan Pryor, Shawn Costley, Bella Smith, Mia Boyzo, Naima Hassan, Virginia Stricklin, Sophie Nance, Addyson Walker, D’Avian Coleman, Yasmin Tyes, Madyson Agun, Kennedy Freeman, Giselle Patterson, Patrick Hereford II, Jordan Perry, Kaden Garner, Piper Moran, Adeline Greene, Xatia Knotts Saltus, Rahkel Smith, Linda Mathis, Joshua Baker II, Erin Duus, Alivia Toney, RaQuaveus Knight, Ava Coleman, Kayden Martz, Jaiden Heyward, Luis Francisco, Anthony Pickett, Sam Kuetemeyer, Melanie Hoover, Mable Houser, Chelsea Rodas Cosajy, Sydney Bell, Benjamin Fleischman, Mara Ngom, Johari Bentley, Savannah Sumner, Coryn Miller, and Charlotte Wilkinson.
Lee’s Group Acting piece Act 3 Scene 6 and Group Musical Flight also received Best in Show honors and will compete at State, further showcasing the department’s depth of talent in both performance and technical theatre.
Production Manager and Community Engagement Coordinator Autumn Kisor praised the students’ dedication and teamwork: “Lee High School has a rich tradition of excelling at Trumbauer, and we can’t wait to see how our students do at State this year in December,” Kisor said.
From powerful storytelling to outstanding technical execution, Lee Theatre continues to set the stage for success—proving once again why the program stands as one of the strongest in the state.