Papamoa College brought the crowd a high school experience on the first night of the ASB 2013 Stage Challenge at Baycourt theatre in Tauranga last night.

The first time entrants won the open division with their ‘Live your life' performance on Thursday, based on the life of the ‘popular' guy in school and the choices he faces growing up.

Papamoa College students Imogen Durkan, Reanna flannagan, Maia Lingman, Amelia Axton, Cameron Smith, Junior Filo, Mokoia Phillips. Photo: Supplied

Bethlehem College took out second place with their performance, ‘The Wonderland of Decisions' and Katikati College came third.

Papamoa College students Imogen Durkan, Reanna flannagan, Maia Lingman, Amelia Axton, Cameron Smith, Junior Filo and Mokoia Phillips led the performance in the first of the two-night competition.

The college's performing arts teacher and Stage Challenge organiser Deborah Wood says the idea is based on one of her family member's lives. The students were able to watch a DVD on this man's experience which Deborah says was very moving.

'It was very authentic and moving for them and they were able to see a real person's life was lost and it made it real for them,” she says.

The teacher says the group is ‘overwhelmed' with the achievement and the win is good for the school.

'I knew that we would have a good experience and more children would buy in next year when trying to create that performing arts culture,” she says.

Deborah says it was a group effort with the 'whole staff on board”.

Event manager Sarah-Jane Phillips is impressed with the performances at Baycourt.

'Papamoa College did a great job, it was thoroughly enjoyable to watch, strong and dramatic in all the right places,” says Sarah-Jane.

Production Judge David Artis is amazed at Papamoa's stage presence.

'It gave me chills, and that doesn't happen very often, that's the true impact it made, hours and hours of rehearsals paid off,” says David.

Stage Challenge is a way of encouraging high school students to have fun without turning to drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

The second night of the regional final is tonight at Baycourt Theatre at 7pm.