By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The irony wasn’t lost on Thompson High School Principal Dr. Wesley Hester when he had trouble collecting his thoughts after earning an award from the Alabama Educational Theatre Association.

“The irony of this is that this is a thespian award, but I am at a loss for words,” Hester said after Troy Taylor, a member of the Theatre Association’s executive board, presented him with the association’s Administrator of the Year award.

Hester’s award came as a result of his support for the school’s theatre program over the past several months. Hester, who came to THS from Montevallo High School last summer, is in his first school year at the THS principal.

“From athletics to fine arts, he has made a difference in many areas in his first year at Thompson High School,” Taylor said. “He has shown the students that he is truly invested in the Thompson High School Theatre Department. He has shown that he cares about them and he constantly supports their growth and talent.”

Taylor presented Hester with the award during a ceremony at the Alabaster Board of Education’s Feb. 8 meeting, during which school board members also honored THS Theatre Department students for earning awards recently at the Alabama State Thespians Festival.

The THS theatre students recently returned from the festival, during which five students won awards and qualified to compete at the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Neb.

The Theatre Department also attended the Alabama Trumbauer in early December, which was held at Troy University and challenges theatre departments to create and perform a production within a time limit.

Out of the 32 events THS competed in at the Trumbauer, 28 were awarded superior ratings, and four were awarded excellent ratings. Nine students placed in the competition, which is more than the school has ever seen during a single competition.

Hester was quick to shine the spotlight on the theatre students and their teacher, Jane Ganey.

“They make it so easy to support them because they are so active,” Hester said. “We’ve got so much talent in the Theatre Department at THS.

“I’m humbled beyond measure by this, and I’m shocked,” Hester added. “The future of the Theatre Department is bright, and we will continue to get better, but things are pretty darn good now.”