When the Manchester West Theatre Knights were leaving the New Hampshire State Drama Festival at Salem High School, their director saw something that hadn’t happened before.

“When our kids were leaving the building, they were walking out single file and everyone around them turned and gave them an ovation,” said Director Timothy Benner.

The group, along with being named Best at the Festival, also won six All-State honors, including set design, costumes, stage management and acting at the March 31 festival.

Now, it’s off to the New England Regional Drama Festival in Warwick, R.I., April 19 to 21.

For the regional and state festivals, the group performed “Dragon of the Winds,” written by Carson Wright and based on Japanese dragon folklore.

The production was chosen after Benner took a three-week trip to Japan last year as part of the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teachers Program. He was required to bring back some of the culture to share with his students, he said.

The 21 students in the theater production class are from Hooksett, Bedford and Manchester, Benner said.

“Since September, these theater students have been working on studying every part of Japanese culture,” Benner said.

They did research papers, ate Japanese food and studied clothes and makeup, he said.

And, they watched videos from Benner’s trip.

Students started rehearsals and set design, makeup and costumes in late December.

The theater students are Alex Reddington, Alex Amadeo, Kyle Avila, Jessica Collins, Keenan LaBonte, Emily Pelletier, Jon Thibault, Brett Burkardt, Buffy LeBlanc, Alyssa Haselton, Anna Rizzo, Quincy Wright, Victoria Adewumi, Abbey Steere, Cherise Benes, Ryan Greenwood, Amanda Mojave, Ryan Bonfiglio, James Stasio and Maggie Heath.

But it’s not just those students who are participating in theater productions at West High School.

Every year, students put on two productions. This year, the troupe presented “All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten” and “Spoon River Anthology,” which was set to open April 18. Now, it will probably be postponed. Also, the students put on a night of one-act plays. This year, it takes place Tuesday, June 5, Benner said.

“By the end of the school year, we will usually have, on an average, about 200 students at West that participate in the program,” he said.