HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2006-03-22, Page 24The Huron Expositor • March 22, 2006 Page 24
News
Local schools both winners at drama festival
St. Anne's productions head to provincials, while CHSS earns three awards
Jennifer Hubbard
The competition was tough, but
both Clinton high schools emerged
victorious from the 60th annual dis-
trict Sears festival held in St. Marys
earlier this month.
Held March 1-4 at St. Marys
District Collegiate and Vocational
Institute, the 2006 edition of the
North Waterloo, Huron -Perth Sears
Drama Festival was adjudicated by
Ron Dodson.
One of St. Anne's two plays pre-
pared for the festival — Variations
on the Death of Trotsky and The
Devil and Daniel Webster — will be
moving on to the regional level.
And while it won't be moving on
Central Huron's student -written
play This Side Up received three
awards.
Each year more than 10,000 stu-
dents and teachers from over 300
schools throughout Ontario partici-
pate province -wide festival celebrat-
ing student drama.
A total of 13 productions were
presented over the four-day St.
Marys festival.
St. Anne's presentation of
Variations on the Death of Trotsky,
written by David Ives, was one of
the three plays chosen to move on to
the regional level at the end of
March.
"Students were enthusiastic par-
ticipants and both shows put out
their best performances yet during
the competition," drama teacher
Crystal Brennan commented.
"They were both commended by
the adjudicator and their peers.
`Trotsky' received the only full
standing ovation of the entire com-
petition."
Variations of the Death of Trotsky
features three senior student actors.
Written by Stephen Benet, The
Devil and Daniel Webster is about a
poor farmer who sells his soul for
status and richness.
Both shows were student directed
and presented by special arrange-
ment with the Dramatist Play
Service.
The student director for
Variations on the Death of Trotsky
was Ian Masse and the co -directors
of The Devil and Daniel Webster
were Eric Finlayson and Heather
Thompson.
A total of 27 were involved in the
productions, for which preparations .
began last September.
The crew of the Benet play
received an award of merit for its
ability to work together as a cohe-
sive unit and for their tremendously
smooth set changes.
"Within the play, the walls physi-
cally turn, and smoke fills the room
as the Devil conjures up the souls of
the damned, and a small farmhouse
is quickly transformed into the
depths of hell," Brennan explained.
Finlayson and Carly Lomas, cast
members of the Ives play won an
award of excellence, for the most
realistic and believable relationship
between two characters on stAge.
As a whole, the cast and crew of
the Variations of the Death of
Trotsky were also recognized with
an award of merit for set design and
most importantly the outstanding
production award which sends them
on to the regional level of competi-
tion.
The regional Sears festival is set
for St. Benedict Catholic Secondary
School in Cambridge. St. Anne's will
be presenting its play on March 28
at 7 p.m.
Tickets will be available at the
door.
Pulled together in just seven
weeks, Central Huron's production
of This Side Up had a very strong
performance.
With cast and crew of just 14, the
play and accompanying music was
written and directed by student
Sam Sholdice.
Staff advisor Stephen Oliver said
the play "achieved quite a buzz
among participants."
"It focused on how when we some-
times
ometimes embrace the status quo
change can be difficult. When some-
thing radical happens we need to
determine whether we're going to
accept the change or force things to
stay how they are," he explained.
"I think everyone's pleased and
happy with how things turned out.
Sure we would have liked to go on;
but it wasn't in the cards this year."
This Side Up was recognized with
three awards in the categories of
ensemble acting, student directing,
and musical score.
Oliver also praised the cast and
crew on the school's website.
"You started without any script
and from only a general concept you
spun a truly unique and remarkable
production which will have people
looking at cardboard boxes in an
entirely different light from now
on," he said.
"Thanks for taking bold artistic
risks, for building a show without
any budget, and for having the
courage it took to share your work
publicly with an audience of sympa-
thetic strangers."
Plans are currently in the works
for a local showing of the play in
April as a fundraiser to cover the
costs of the Sears festival.
Further details will be posted on
the CHSS website
http://oliver.typepad.com/chss/
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