Marie Hooper, A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum director, said she was overwhelmed by how well the troupe did at its first Zone competition in Williams Lake on May 24.
In the end, the Forum received the Runner-up Production Award.
It was a very difficult decision that took more than 45 minutes to make, Hooper said, adding the committee has never had a decision take that long. It was down to the wire, she noted, with a hair of separation for choice of the winner.
"First time out of the gate and we won more than any other group in the zones - eight out of the 18 awards. It was a truly remarkable feat for our small group."
The other awards included: Outstanding Director, Hooper; Outstanding Actor, Nick Goshorn; Honourable Mention for Costume Design, Shelly Carrera; Outstanding Sound Design, Pat Friesen and Walt Sherry; Outstanding Makeup and Hair Design, Nicole Weir, Outstanding Props Design, Chris Hadden; and Outstanding Ensemble Acting, the Forum cast.
Hooper said she wants to let 100 Mile House know what a treasure it has in the Performing Arts Society.
"Their generosity and talent is truly remarkable and that is one of the reasons I wanted them to go to the festival, so they can see how really remarkable they are. "They have not had anything to compare to."
Hooper noted Theatre BC executive director Vance Schneider came up to her right after the show and indicated the 100 Mile troupe had really raised the bar for main stage.
"He was blown away."
On the last note, Hooper said, the audience members roared and leapt to their feet immediately and were cheering and clapping. That to me was genuine and spontaneous, she added.
"We entertained the heck out of them, and even though there were some reasons the troupe did not make it to main stage final, they were still remarkable, fantastic, and outstanding.
"100 Mile House and our communities should be very proud of what we can do. It is a whole cultural essence to the town that everyone should be proud of."
Noting this is her last year to direct a fall production, an emotional Hooper says, "This is a gift that I will never forget."