Amanda Palmieri, who played the Queen in St. Francis de Sales’ production of "The Ugly Duckling," emphasized the sense of community she experienced in preparing and performing their play: "I got to meet wonderful new people and got to know people already in my youth group even better. I finally realized what my mom had been telling me for years: I won't meet new people unless I get involved."

Deanna Andrew of the Youth Office coordinates the Diocesan One-Act Play competition each year. She enjoys watching each young person have their moment on the stage—each one brings something unique to the group’s efforts. Andrew noted that, more than anything else, the event forms individuals into a unit. "It is a community building experience for all the kids involved," she said.

In order to prepare for their plays, directors and young people necessarily dedicated a great deal of time and energy. The ups and downs of rehearsing taught them to work toward a common goal. "Through the weeks of rehearsal I got to be better friends with all the cast and crew members," said Olivia Lucas, cast member for All Saints Parish. "The competition gives us a goal to work toward, and a day to appreciate the work of other parishes." Christ the Redeemer’s Kristen Brabrook felt the same way. "The great thing about this competition is the fact that you get to know more people in your church, and in other parishes," she said. "It's a lot of work and takes a lot of time to get it right, but it's worth it when you get to the competition."

The six parishes that received a plaque for their efforts were: St. Mark, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Francis de Sales, St. John (McLean), Christ the Redeemer, and All Saints.

In addition, plaques were given to the Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Play. Theresa Hawkey, playing the title role in the All Saints Parish production "Baby," won the 2004 award for Best Actress. She maintained her character and stage presence throughout the play despite being tossed about by an overzealous uncle and being repeatedly pinched by a brooding grandma. This year’s Best Actor award went to Jon Johnson of St. John Parish (McLean) for his performance as a guardian angel in "Angels Among Us." The judges’ were further impressed when they learned he’d just one week to memorize his lines—he took the role when the actor originally cast for it was unable to perform.

Each year, to further encourage youth involvement at the diocesan level, a $500 credit toward diocesan youth ministry events is given to the parish that receives the Best Play award. This year’s award went to St. John’s for "Angels Among Us," an original one-act play written by Bill Doyle. It is based on the story of how he met his wife, who co-directed the play with him. Doyle calls the preparation that each parish makes for One-Act Play "a labor of love."

This "labor" brought parishes together in unexpected ways. Marty McWatters, youth ministry coordinator at St. John Parish, sees the One-Act Play as "one of those special opportunities in a parish to draw people together who would not necessarily interact in other ways." She explained how within their small cast of eight characters there were students from six different high schools and all four grade levels. The ladies in their parish thrift shop helped with costumes and the Over-50 Club helped the cast find props at the last minute. "Everyone in the parish was pulling for us and celebrated with us when Father Hathaway announced after mass that we had won."

Some of the young people, such as Matt Bookwalter of All Saints, have been involved for a number of years. Bookwalter revealed why he stays involved in the One-Act Play competition: "The theatrical community in the diocese is really tight. You realize that everybody is getting better and the competition is much steeper, but no one really cares if they win or lose. Most of all we had a chance to do what we love best — go under the lights, and perform."