Palo Alto High School’s Thespian Society is celebrating awards given to members who participated in the annual California State Thespian Conference on the weekend of March 25 to 28 in Ontario, CA.

The purpose of the conference was to compete in individual competitions, participate in theater related workshops, and watch performances, according to theater teacher Kathleen Woods.

More than 900 high school students attended the conference and the students from Paly had a very strong showing at conference, according to Woods. Many Paly students earned a Superior rating, the highest possible rating in each individual contest, according to Woods.

Senior Alex Huerta took First Place in Lighting Design while senior Zachary Freier-Harrison won Second Place in the category of Monologue performance.

Sophomore Heather Gaya and Huerta were selected from applicants from all over the state to serve as stage technicians on the All State Show, where they worked with stage lighting, according to Woods.

Other students who got Superior ratings in individual categories include senior Hannah Crown and sophomore Ali Dwight in Solo Musical Theatre, Gaya in Sound Design, sophomore Justin Krasner-Karpen in Monologue and sophomore Annie Rosenberg in Musical Theatre Dance.