PHS One-Act sweeps 6 State awards
Posted November 24, 2025
Plymouth High School garnered six state awards – all of the honors for which it was eligible – for this year’s one-act play, “As the Window Closes”!
PHS was awarded:
- Critic’s Choice: the highest honor possible, given for overall excellence
- Outstanding Ensemble: recognizing excellence in collaboration and pacing
- Outstanding Directing: to PHS senior Addi Arnold, who also wrote the play
- Outstanding Technical Theatre: recognizing the high quality of the entire crew's technical contributions
- Outstanding Actor Awards (2): to Thora Carpenter for her portrayal of Girl, and to Johnathan Riley for his portrayal of Boy
Crew members were Iris Johnson and Dustin Olsen. The cast was advised by drama teacher Jack Colombo.
The awards were announced during the Wisconsin State High School Theater Festival held Nov. 18-21 at UW-Stevens Point. PHS has a long history of sending one acts to State, but this marks the first time in school history that a student-written and student-directed play qualified.
“As the Window Closes” is about an unnamed girl’s struggle with the concept of moving on, as she is visited by a mysterious boy. The ticking of an unseen clock seems to go on, the objects of her past seem to scare her, and the boy consoles, taunts, and makes peace with her struggle of facing the never-ending flow of time. As absurdist drama, this piece attempts to examine the humanity that faces us all when we are forced to continue on with our lives and face the unknown.
On its way to State, PHS performed at regionals held virtually and at sectionals held Nov. 8 at Neenah.