After a full season of rehearsals, troupe 3814 took on the District 13 Senior High Thespians Competition. Over 70 students met Dec. 8 to showcase their talents for the judges. At the competition, 23 different schools from across Broward County performed in hopes of receiving critic’s choice awards, a high honor that acknowledges the level for their performances. This year, Heritage’s students received critic’s choice in seven categories and honorable mention in four categories. Not only did they return with those awards, but they also brought back a total of 9 Straight Superiors, 26 Superiors, 10 Excellents and 1 Good.
As a theatre and performing arts festival competition, students are required to prepare pieces (technical or performance) and present them in front of a panel of three judges. Normally these judges are performing arts directors or teachers from around the county. Students enter with monologues, solos, ensemble acting scenes and technical pieces including sound design, playwriting, costume design, set construction and makeup. Once the day is over and everyone has been separated into rooms based on their performance type, an announcement is made with critics choice and honorable mention finalists.
However, even if the thespians event is a so called “competition” (and with events like this, competitiveness is expected), some participants agree that it is better to focus not on placing, but on trying your hardest. Junior Adelina Marinello, who received an honorable mention for her solo, said, “If you treat it [as just a competition], come competition day you will have psyched yourself out. The competition aspect is something that comes along with the performance so it’s definitely taught me to focus on my piece and task at hand and perform to the best of my abilities.” Marinello was a part of the fall play, Tartuffe, but like many of the students who were also involved in both the play and the competition, she made sure to make enough time to practice. Even though students participated in numerous events first semester including one-acts, fall plays and winter concerts, they still managed to come together and perform, earning a variety of awards.
Results:
PERFORMANCE CRITIC’S CHOICE
Solo Musical Theatre A: Jordyn Allen
Solo Musical Theatre Honorable Mention: Adelina Marinello
Duet Musical Theatre A: Marly Kaufman and Sophia Gorostiza
Small Group Musical Theatre: Big Ass Rock – Frederick Bredemeyer, Nathan Mahon, Wesley Mahon
Ensemble Acting: Honorable Mention: Columbinus (Frederick Bredemeyer, Olivia Bryne, Gabriela Coutinho, Michael Guarasci, Samantha Lynar, Nathan Mahon, Wesley Mahon, Veronica Ritkes)
Pantomime: Zahra Willis-Cox
TECHNICAL CRITIC’S CHOICE
Scene Design: Sarah Lendzian
Costume Design: Natalie Perez
Sound Design: Nikolas Serrano
Sound Design Honorable Mention: Karl Waldman
Playwriting: Honorable Mention: Kelly Taylor
SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP
Acting: Gabriela Coutinho
Theatre League Scholarships: Sarah Lendzian & Zahra Willis-Cox
