Written by Mitch Albom, "And the Winner Is" was promoted by the AWC theater as a "light-hearted story of an actor, Tyler J ones." Yet it had a serious moral , that t he choices we make on earth effect us in the afterlife.

I was delighted and amazed by the tale nt showcased at the AWC Theater, beginning with the student dir ect or, Steve Whiston .

T he play was fronte d by actor Christian Truckenmiller, who played Tyler Johnes, a seasoned actor who is finally nominated for an Academy Award then dies, and actor Emilio Sanchez, who played Seamus, an Irish bartender who is tending a sort of purgatory for those who didn't quite make it . P atrons are ushered through several of the mistakes of Tyler's life , which land him in his own personal H ell while waiting in line for H eaven.

Truckenmiller did an excellent job of being quick on his lines, and was fantastic with hi s use of exaggerated emotions and body language that brought his whin y , self-absorbed character to life. His performance, coupled with Sanchez's incredible interpretation of Seamus, laid a foundation that allowed the rest of the cast to follow suit and play through their characters smoothly.

I especially enjoyed Tommy Tribolet as Teddy LaPetite, Tyler's agent extraordinaire. Tommy's single -mindedness an d general state of cluelessness allowed for interjections of humor that made many of the scenes.

I n the end, I was glad to have su pported the AWC Theatre program AWC Theatrical Review: "And the Winner Is"