Every year the PV Drama Department takes part in what is known as “District Large Group Speech” and has a variety of students– not just theatre kids –take part in a series of events. This year we had students compete in 11 different events ranging from solo mime to short film.
After spending a long day in the Wapello high school and playing the lead female role in the one-act,”12 Hour Life”, sophomore Leah Sanders stated that ”it was fun seeing friends and fellow theatre fanatics perform.” Then when prompted about “12 Hour Life,” she said, ”It was fun and everyone who saw it enjoyed it.” Leah Sanders has been working with actor, Jimmy Guest, and director, Maaz Ahmed, on the production almost since the beginning of the school year. They performed their one act at the Iowa Thespian Festival this year and learned that they qualified taking the show to the International Thespian Festival this summer. With so much success in this show, everyone has high hopes that they will do well at state this coming Saturday.
Some disappointment, however, came from the improv teams Hatrick and The Select Button. Last year our beloved improv teams swept the stage at the Iowa Thespian Festival and bedazzled the judges at Large Group, but this year they are being a little more challenged. One really needs to know their judge when they perform a scene because each person interprets the fundamentals of improv a little differently. Maaz Ahmed–member of The Select Button–stated that he ”learned a valuable lesson about knowing your audience.” While they may not be advancing to state this year, the two teams are working hard to improve for the future and they even plan to fill the theatre for the next Improv Night.
At the end of the day, seven of the eleven events will be advancing to State Large Group Speech this coming weekend! To those who participated we say, “Bravo!” and to those advancing we say, “Break a leg!” You can look for results of their events on Twitter @PVSpartanDrama. Also, if you would like to view the events that are going to state, you can support them in a showcase that is this Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in the theatre. We hope to see you there!
