Cleveland takes 1st place for play in statewide contest

RIO RANCHO — Cleveland High School took first place in a recent statewide competition for its production of "Wiley and the Hairy Man." 

CHS earned the honor during the 2026 New Mexico Activities Association One-Act Production Competition, held Jan. 15-17, at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, where the Storm competed with other metro-area students. Rio Rancho High School took second place for "I Never Saw Another Butterfly," while third place went to Volcano Vista High School in Albuquerque for "The Chips Are Down."

"The win was a result of our cast. We had such great chemistry, and we really had that teamwork going," said Ian Shackelford, who played Wiley.

The honors for CHS came as the production cast and crew responded to popular demand and performed an encore of "Wiley" in Cleveland's Black Box Theater on Jan. 26.

Kir Kipness, CHS drama department director, credited her "amazing" students for their win. She chose "Wiley" as the one-act production they would perform based on the caliber of her students' talents.

"This particular group is very strong in music and musical theater, so I knew that they could handle a very poetic, rhythmic script," Kipness said.

The play, written by the late playwright Jack Stokes and licensed by Dramatic Publishing, tells the story of Wiley, who must "use conjure magic and wit" to trick the Hairy Man and make him leave the Tombigbee Swamp, according to a flyer provided by CHS. Audiences get both a laugh and sit on the edge of their seats as Wiley confronts the Hairy Man, knowing all too well what the "most unordinary creature" did to his father before him.

"He's a kid who needs to face his fears," Kipness said, referring to Wiley, "and the Hairy Man is his fear of being strong and the man of the house because his father is gone."

The all-senior CHS cast also included Michael Montaño as Hairy Man and Sophia Laner-Dent as Momma. The students spoke to the strength of the production and what it was like to perform.

Montaño noted not all of his classmates were on board with performing "Wiley" at first, but it was exciting to see the cast "lock in" for an entire semester to learn a one-act play.

Laner-Dent, who previously performed in choir and dance productions, said the "glimmer and magic" of the theater production might have contributed to the cast's ability to win the competition.

" To be able to win with that, it was incredible (and) electrifying," she said.