CUMMING — Forsyth Central High School recently took home third place in the One-Act Play State Class AAAAA Championship for its performance of “The Elephant Man.”

Prior to state, Central won its region. It was a rendition that Colleen Quigley, director of Central’s theater department, said was a “beautiful piece of theater.”

“We had the right people for it,” she said. “I enjoy pieces of theater that invoke a lot of emotion and that touch on the human spirit.”

The show, which at Central included eight cast and 18 crew members, was written in 1977 by Bernard Pomerance. It tells the story of Joseph Merrick (John Merrick in the script), a man known for living with extreme deformations to his body during the Victorian era.

Central placed behind Allatoona High School’s “Wiley and the Hairyman” and Harris County High School’s “The Diviners.”

“I was really proud of them. The caliber of the performances was really high,” she said.

The One-Act Play competition is organized by the Georgia High School Association, which also oversees prep athletics.

Central was the only high school in Forsyth County to make it to state.

The highest-placing local school in Class AAAAAA, Lambert, came in second in its region.

Nicole Sablowski of Central was deemed best actress at the state competition for her role of Mrs. Kendal.

The competition included eight participating schools, from which judges compiled an all-star cast of 12 actors. Three students from Central were named to the cast: Dane Croxton, Austin Cowart and Connor Holtz.

Quigley said her students’ performance of the show at region afforded them best actor, actress, supporting actor and technical.

Last year, in Quigley’s first year, Central placed second with its production of “The Miracle Worker.”

Central has won state four times: in 2000 in Class AAA and in 2002, 2004 and 2005 in Class AAAA.

Of the theater program at the school, Quigley said, “Central has a really strong success rate with one-act competitions."