The HCC drama school production of Roger Karshner’s “The Man with a Plastic Sandwich” earned significant awards at the Texas Community College Speech and Theatre Association (TCCSTA) 2026 Play Festival last month in Carthage, Texas.

The quirky comedy, written in the early 80s, centers on Walter Price, an unemployed middle-aged man who visits a park to contemplate his life, only to be confronted by a strange cast of characters who eventually have an impact on him. Debra Schultz, the coordinator for HCC’s drama program and the play’s director, described it as a comedic version of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman”.

For years, HCC has participated in the TCCSTA’s annual theatre festival, Play Fest. TCCSTA is an association of two-year and junior colleges across Texas that produce theater. Colleges submit a student production of their choice to the theatre festival for review by industry professionals.

This year, HCC brought its production of “The Man with a Plastic Sandwich” to Panola College, where it won numerous awards in categories including acting, stage management, and lighting design.

Among the award-winning actors were Pedro Balcazar for stage management and lighting design, Aileen Santos for acting, and Ryan Martin for acting. The production also had significant support from Anthony Reilly and Theatre Production Manager Lorella Snell. In addition to the awards given to the students, the entire production received an excellent rating for its collective work as a crew. You can view the full list of awards below:

Columbus Thomas III – Respondents’ Choice, Excellence Rating (Acting)

Ryan Martin – Respondents’ Choice, Excellence Rating (Acting)

Aileen Santos – Respondents’ Choice, Superior Rating (Acting)

Faculty Choice (Acting)

Audience Choice (Acting)

Pedro Balcazar – Faculty Choice, Superior Rating (Stage Management & Lighting Design)

Destiny Isabella Del Valle Moreno Rodriguez – Excellence Rating for the Production

When asked whether she was surprised that the students received so much praise and accolades for their work, Schutlz said she wasn’t at all and was proud to see all the actors go a step further to show what they can do onstage.

“The production asked all four actors to do something they have never done before. When I see [students] meet challenges, I know people are going to respect that,” said Schultz. She specifically praised the actors’ ability to adapt to a stage environment different from the one they’re familiar with at HCC.

As for what’s next for Schultz and the drama team, they are set to produce the family-friendly audience-participation play, “The Adventures of Hopscotch Cassidy”, which will premiere at Camden Park on April 29th and later be staged at HCC Northeast Campus’ Black Box Theatre on May 1st and 2nd.