CAIRO- The Cairo High School One Act Competition Team brought home their second straight Region 1-AAA title on October 29th, earning a trip back to the GHSA One Act Play State Championship in Alpharetta on Saturday, November 16th. With this back-to-back win, the team is bringing Ranked: A Musical to the state stage. This is a powerful one-act production set in a dystopian world where academic rank determines every aspect of life. This high-energy musical takes on big themes like privilege, honesty, and integrity and has drawn national attention for its interesting parallels to the recent college admissions scandal.

The annual GHSA One Act competition pushes teams to condense full productions into 55-minute, high-intensity performances, from setup to takedown, making it a fast-paced showcase of skill and dedication. In 2023, the CHS team brought home the region trophy for the first time in a decade, and they’ve been working hard to make this year’s return to state even better.

With a production team led by One Act Coach Mrs. Austin Harrell, along with longtime Stage Makers music director Mr. Joshua Moore and new CHS Choral director Mrs. Christina Baker, the show is a full team effort.

“Last year’s state experience was eye-opening,” Harrell said. “We came back fired up and ready to push every piece of the show further. This production is unlike anything we;ve ever done – the set, choreography, music, everything about Ranked pulls you into its world, and I think it’ll surprise people to see this level of work coming from high school students.”

The story of Ranked follows Lily Larsen, a freshman who has managed to keep her spot “Above Average” on the very public academic leaderboard… barely. In a cutthroat system, students fight to climb to the top, where everything from college to social standing is at stake. When a massive lie comes to light, everyone’s future is put on the line. Set to a soundtrack of catchy pop-rock tunes, this show is both fun and thought-provoking, a combination that audience members say kept them hooked from the opening line.

The team, which includes many performers from last year’s region-winning show, is excited to return to the state competition stage.

“I’ve been doing one-act since my freshman year, and now I’m leading the team for my last show…it’s such a blessing and an honor,” said Stage Makers President Morgan Griffin. “Last year’s trip to state showed us what’s possible and inspired us to raise the bar. This show is all that and more.”

The team received impressive comments and scores from the judges at the region competition, including having three cast members chosen for individual awards. Lydia Harrison and Jakin Ross were awarded with the “All Star Cast” medal which is given to two performers in each show. Eden Singletary was named “Best Actress” in the region; this is the third year in a row that a Cairo performer has won this award.

The production team says that they are excited to head to the state championship again this year and are integrating some new ideas into the show in order to prepare for the “next-level” competition that they know they will be facing at state. They performed the show for public audiences this past Sunday, and do not currently have any more performances scheduled before the state competition. Those interested in donating funds to help the team cover costs related to the state championship trip to Alpharetta, can contact  Harrell at a.harrell2@grady.k12.ga.us or call Cairo High School at 229-377-2222.