The Iowa Thespian Festival takes place every year. It consists of two days of theatre in which people watch plays and musicals from throughout the state. Students can also choose to perform in individual events which could qualify them for an international competition. The thespian festival also provides a variety of workshops that focus on various aspects of theatre. Additionally, senior students can choose to audition for schools and win scholarships.
Pleasant Valley competed in this year’s 2018 Iowa Thespian Festival. Junior, Anna Myatt, stated “We had two tech teams compete for the 1st time.” The Techie Dream team of Grace Almgren, John Mendelin, Brooklyn Carlson, Hayley Damitz, Jimmy Guest, Odin McDonald and Brenner Stickney won 1st place overall and won PV a new lighting fixture.
Many Techie Dream Team members also competed and placed in individual events. Grace Almgren took 1st place in knot tying. Grace Almgren, Odin McDonald, and Brooklyn Carlson took 1st place in the costume quick change. Carlson also qualified for the International Thespian Festival. Hayley Damitz and Jimmy Guest both took 1st place in the prop shift.
Various other PV students also placed in individual events at the festival. Laylon Baucom took 2nd place in costume construction. Anna Myatt and Amy Oberhart placed 2nd in solo musical theater and qualified to compete at the International Thespian Festival. Anna Myatt was also re-elected to be an Iowa Thespian Officer on the Iowa Thespian Board and is the first Pleasant Valley student to be on the board for two years. Myatt stated, “I’m excited to work with a new group of people and help provide opportunities to theatre students across the state for another year.”
Pleasant Valley’s improv team, WACIT—Jimmy Guest, Odin McDonald, Leah Sanders and Rachel Schwarz—also competed and placed 1st. McDonald stated, “ My improv team WACIT put on one of our best performances this year. We left the competition ecstatic and were thrilled to see WACIT at first place. — Odin McDonald
