This past weekend, MCP's Drama Troupe attended the California State Thespian Festival in Upland. This was our seventh trip to the festival, but since the last two years were canceled, attending the festival was new for everyone this time around, which has never been the case before. The maximum capacity was cut in half this year for safety due to covid, but there were still almost 40 schools from across the state in attendance.
The Highlander Auditorium at Upland is a 1,000 seat state of the art facility, and each year, students can apply to work along side the adult professionals in the areas of stage management, house management, lighting, sound, video/projections and scenic construction. Thomas Beaudin was our sole tech student this year, and he was selected for the lighting crew. He worked on and off through out the festival setting up equipment, running spotlight, and other tech tasks as needed, from Friday morning to the final event on Sunday, arriving earlier and staying later than anyone else.
During the day on Friday, most attendees enter Thespy events, for which they present prepared pieces in front of 3-5 professional adjudicators. From our troupe, Curran Bojorquez entered the Solo Musical event, singing “Something’s Coming” from West Side Story. Lunabella Levin performed monologues from William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale & Naomi Wallace’s The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek for the Solo Acting event. Sophie O’Quest presented her designs for five different characters in Aladdin Jr, including her research and inspiration for the Costume Design event.
If the average score of the judges is high enough, students receive a Superior rating. For categories with a very high number of entries, the top scoring Superiors in each room receive callbacks as well, and repeat their performance on Saturday. Lunabella received a Superior and a callback for her event.
For everyone not busy with tech rehearsals or Thespys on Friday, there were two workshop sessions to attend. Which was good, because this year, Friday was unusually hot which was a challenge.
Friday evening was the first of four All-Festival events, when everyone meets in the auditorium for performances and awards. We saw winning performances in several Thespy categories such as Musical Theatre Dance, and as well as Scenefest, which consists of 10 minute cuttings of a play with costumes and props. However, the highlight was a performance and Q&A with Nicole Parker, who played Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway. After the main event, some students stayed for the optional Thespians Got Talent show late night activity.
Saturday morning, we were back in the auditorium for the second all-festival event and more winning Thespy performances, plus some of the scholarship winners and the first of three finalists in the Chapter Select. These are 30 minute plays, winners of either the N Cal, S Cal or Virtual Play Marathon events earlier this year.
During the day, there were two workshop sessions, with an even greater selection, such as auditioning techniques, accents, belting, stage combat, sound in theatre, playwriting, and more.
Saturday evening, we saw more winning Thespy performances, the final two chapter select entries, and the All-State number, which was a high energy ensemble performance rehearsed entirely at the festival with kids from many troupes. AND most wonderfully, we got to see Sophie’s winning application projected on the big screen and watch her receive the Senior Scholarship in Technical Theatre and Design! Late night activities included another round of Thespians got Talent plus Lip Sync Battle.
Friday morning was one more workshop session, before the festival ended with a wonderful panel discussion and Q&A with six members of the LA company of Hamilton.
None of this would have been possible without the help of Sean Collier who not only acted as driver and worked chaperone shifts at the festival, but also coordinated all of the lunches and dinners this year. And of course Ms. Blomfield, who as Troupe Director spent all day Friday and part of Saturday judging over 50 students in the Solo Musical Thespy. We also want to thank Carey Blauvelt who has been the Parents Association International Thespians Society Coordinator for years and helps coordinate and register all of our students. We thank you all for providing this opportunity to our theater students.