Contact: Pete Koutoulas • First Posted: Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Drama students from Tates Creek High School and the speech teams from Lafayette, Henry Clay and Tates Creek excelled in separate competitions this month.

The Tates Creek performance of “The Bald Soprano” placed second in the Kentucky High School Speech League’s State Drama Festival, held Dec. 14 at Western Kentucky University.

The group – which was this year’s only participant from Fayette County Public Schools – picked up one “superior” and two “excellent” ratings. Adam Razavi, Hunter Henrickson and Abbie Betts were named to the festival all-star cast, and Abbie was recognized as one of two overall outstanding performers in the festival.

The Tates Creek group also included Jessica Adkins, Suzanne Dazo, Sarah Smith, Corrie Van Gessel and Steven White.

On Dec. 5, the Lafayette High speech team finished third out of 17 teams in the “Home of the Brave” Invitational in Grant County.  

Lafayette's Miles Conger placed 1^st in radio broadcasting; Emily Collier was 1^st and Beth Bollinger 5^th in dramatic interpretation; Zach Shinall finished 2^nd in Congress and 4^th in extemporaneous speaking; Scott Anderson and Jake Greenwell were 1^st and Madeline Carey and Miles Conger were 4^th in improvisational duo; and Madeline Carey placed 1^st in storytelling.

Helen Sauer of Henry Clay High placed 1st in the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and Neha Ray was 3rd.

Surya Green of Tates Creek placed 5th in radio broadcasting.