The Mid-Michigan Theatre Arts Festival, lovingly donned “Lovefest” by attendees, is a yearly festival Rochester Adams High School’s Theatre troupe participates in. Thespians from all three Rochester Community Schools put up a one-act production to perform at the festival in Bay City. This year, Adams Theatre  performed “The House of Fog”, a spooky, sexy, and outrageous parody of Victorian melodramas.

At the end of the two-day long festival, in which sixteen high schools perform, three awards are handed out for each production. Two awards are given to two different actors for a stand out job, or particularly spectacular acting. The final award is given toward a technician, or technical element of the show, like set design, lighting, or sound for example. This year, seniors Katie Lane-Waters and Sophia Williams won the acting awards for Adams, and senior Brianna Flinkingshelt won the technical award.

Lane-Waters played the high-maintenance Lucy Lackenspiel, who shockingly turned out to be a Tracy slaughter, a con artist. She was trying to kill her fiance, Timothy Rackonsfeild (played by junior Michael Berry), in order to give her and her father, Bill Slaughter (played by senior Miles Houser), the bountiful family fortune of the wealthy Rackonsfeilds. Williams played Nanny Marksworth, Timothy’s old family maid, with a good ol’ victorian twist. Nanny Marksworth is not what she seems either, and is actually a super spy by the name of Fiona Harrington who is having an affair with the gardener, Gregor (played by junior Max Shein).

Both senior girls received roarous applause and laughter as well as a standing ovation at both the bows and the award ceremony. Flinkingshelt’s paint design won her an award and standing ovation as well. She was inspired by the works of Edward Gorey, in particular, the design of the Dracula set. The set was in complete black and white, with intricate, Victorian details and rose motifs hidden throughout the design. Overall, the paint design mimicked a stationary inked illustration, which popped against the moving actors.

Every small piece of a show impacts it greatly, from the person who sweeps the stage, to the leading actor. Lovefest brings to light three of the many people who have worked their craft to its finest. Flinkingshelt, with her gorgeous paint design, Lane-Waters, with her suburb, sassy acting, and Williams, with her committed and hilarious character choices. Three ladies, all very different in roles and duty, awarded for their similar, remarkable dedication and drive.