From left, Ana Celaya, Jesse Lee and Adrea Norrell perform in the Southeast Whitfield High School Raider Players production of "The Amish Project" at the school. 

DALTON, Ga. — Jesse Lee is known as a good guy at Southeast Whitfield High School.

“Jesse is the nicest guy ever,” Alana Sane, the drama teacher at Southeast, said. “I’ve never heard him say anything bad about anyone.”

But when Lee, a junior, played the role of the killer of five girls in a fictional play based on a real-life schoolhouse shooting in an Amish community in Pennsylvania in 2006, his fellow students didn’t recognize him.

Adrea Norrell, a sophomore who portrayed one of the girls who was killed, said she has known Lee since the second grade.

“When he slips into that character I don’t know who he is, he’s so good,” she said.

Lee won an award for “Best Villain” when the Raider Players presented “The Amish Project” at the Georgia High School Association Region 4A One-Act Play Competition at Pickens High School in Jasper, where they were named region champions. They advanced to the state competition in Sandersville but didn’t place because of a timing situation. Erin Richmond was named “Best Actress” at region for portraying the widow of the gunman.

Sane gave the students a homework assignment of researching the individuals their characters were based on.

“He was well-known among the Amish communities, they trusted him,” Lee said of the real-life shooter.

Lee said to prepare for the role he also researched other mass shooters.

Sane said it was “weird” to see Lee in the role of a murderer.

She said presenting the play was something she had wanted to do for years. 

“I had in the back of my mind that when I have strong girls (actors) I’m going to do it,” she said.

Ana Celaya, a senior who was named “Best Actress” at state, played Velda, one of the victims of the shooting.

“The character is very energetic, she’s a kid that loves telling stories,” Celaya said. “That’s what the character does in the play, tell a bunch of stories.”

Celaya said it was “exciting” to win “Best Actress.”

“I try my best to put myself in their shoes,” she said of the characters she portrays. “I wanted to make it believable and realistic because these are real people.”

Norrell portrayed Velda’s sister Anna. Norrell was on the all-star cast at region along with Celaya.

“It felt amazing going to state,” Norrell said. “We had a good show this year so I was hopeful we would get first place.”

Norrell said it took her a long time to prepare for the role. 

“I wasn’t able to read the school shooting scene without breaking down,” she said. “These were real people. I did research on them and my character wanted to be a teacher.”

Norrell said she also read about the families involved and watched a Lifetime movie version of the story.

“I thought how it felt to be in their shoes,” she said. “They were excited about life and had plans.”

“A lot of days we read our lines in rehearsal and cried,” Norrell said.

Fernando Avila, a junior, played Bill, a professor of Amish culture who witnessed the shooting. 

“I (his character) talked to people outside the Amish community during press conferences,” Avila said. “I told them what I saw and how the Amish felt.”

Sane said it was the school’s first appearance at state since 2016.

“They (the students) did a good job, it was the best they’ve ever done,” she said. “We had a lot of laughter (from the audience at times during the performance) so the students were waiting until it stopped and we went over time,” which was why the Raider Players did not place, she said. 

Sane said it was a day of performances that focused on the tragic and people needed to unwind.

She said she’s proud of all of the students.

“This play is hard, there is no interaction between students, it’s mostly just talking to the audience the entire show,” she said.  

Sane said the students did everything she asked of them. Other members of the cast were Alexa Dominguez and Abby Wright.

“It was unfortunate we went over time, but I think they should be proud of their performance,” Sane said.