KUDOS TO "THE KATRINA PROJECT"

Being from the Pine Belt of southern Mississippi, I keep a close eye on what's happening back home. It was especially great to read in Monday's Hattiesburg American that Hattiesburg High School's original play The Katrina Project: Hell and High Water received runner-up honours along with individual awards for a couple of it's performers over the weekend at the National Theatre Competition held in Orlando.

The production, written and directed by Michael Marks and Mackenzie Westmoreland, earned the trip to Orlando after winning the Mississippi Theatre Association's Secondary Division Festival in January at Starkville. One school from each of ten southeastern states competed in last weekend's event.

In addition to it's runner-up honour, Krishana Donaldson was named Best Supporting Actress, while Parin Patel, Cathy Yu, and Rashard Smith were named "national all-stars". The play also won awards for Best Set and Best Emotional Intergrity.

Students and faculty began work on the play only three days after Hurricane Katrina struck the South Mississippi region.