Arts and Entertainment

Thespians participate in successful State competition

Mary Earp
April 26, 2012

Reed Sturtevant and Caroline Hitesman, seniors, placed first and were chosen to showcase their duo musical piece at the State competition for Thespians. According to Jessica Murray, acting teacher, this was a huge accomplishment.

“They were invited to perform in the Showcase on Saturday in front of almost 1000 people at the historic Elsinore Theatre,” Murray said. “You will see their piece, ‘A Stud and a Babe,’ from ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’ at May Day this year.”

This was also impressive to their fellow Thespians, like Ashley Welp, senior.

“Caroline Hitesman and Reed Sturtevant were chosen to showcase which was really, insanely cool,” Welp said. “It hardly ever happens, so it was awesome.”

Sturtevant and Hitesman were not the only students to end up successful though, according to Murray.

“Ashley Welp graciously ruled the weekend,” Murray said. “She won second place in State for Stage Management. Ashley also received the Ansel J. Adams Technical Theatre Scholarship and the Oregon Thespian Scholarship.”

State took place in Salem, Ore. on April 12, 13 and 14. There are always a variety of awards given out at State, ranging from playwriting to solo acting to group musical. According to Melissa Cozzi, junior, many Thespians from WLHS were recognized for their participation.

“There are a lot of different types of awards, so a lot of people are recognized at the awards ceremony at the end of the weekend,” Cozzi said. “People who score well in the competition showcase before the awards ceremony, which means that they get up in front of everyone and perform their piece.”

Those who participated in State were the top 10 percent from the regional competition. Along with Welp, Sturtevant and Hitesman, Bradley Stone and Rihanna Turner, juniors, also competed. Others attended state to participate in workshops, and according to Welp, State is a fun learning experience.

“The Thespian State Competition isn’t just a competition,” Welp said. “It’s also a conference, and there are workshops and shows for everyone to see.”

The workshops at State cover a wide variety of topics, from dancing to technical classes. According to Cozzi, actors have alternatives if they do not wish to participate in the workshops.

“Some troupes brought short one act plays that they had directed,” Cozzi said. “You could choose to go watch them instead of doing the other workshops.”

Overall, Cozzi considers State a success. According to Murray, it is helpful and fun for not only the competitors, but the other Thespians there as well.

“The competition is only a small part of the event,” Murray said. “Truly, it is a conference with rich, varied experiences—fun and learning.”

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About the Contributor

Mary Earp, Co Editor-in-chief

Perfectionist, outgoing and busy are just three of the many words that describe Mary Earp, senior. Earp heard about Amplifier from her eighth grade English teacher, and has been a part of the staff since her freshman year. Currently, she is one of the three Co-Editors-in-chiefs of the paper. Most people have goals that they would like to pursue in their life, and this is a true statement for Earp as well. “I want to be a doctor, and I know this sounds cheesy, but I would really like to make a difference in the world,” Earp said. After high school, her hopes include attending either Pomona College or University of California, Berkeley. Outside of school, Earp has a very hectic life which includes playing co-ed soccer, being a member of the school Mock Trial team and being the President of National Honor Society. She is traveling to New York in late October for an international Mock Trial Competition, Empire, where she is assigned to present the closing argument and both direct and cross examinations for the trial. Some highlights of Earp’s summer were hanging out with friends and taking a vacation to North Carolina, where she visited family and spent some time at the warm sunny beach. If Earp could visit any place two places in the world, she would choose “Italy and Machu Picchu, Peru, because the scenery is beautiful,” Earp said. Her favorite year in high school so far was junior year. “It challenged me the most and broadened my horizons,” Earp said. So far in her senior year, the class Earp most enjoys is AP Environmental Science, “It’s very interesting, enlightening, and I have a great teacher,” Earp said. Earp’s senior year is packed with AP Environmental Science, AP Calculus BC and AP English, leaving her with a long night of work to complete. The most challenging part of taking these classes “is all of the work involved,” Earp said. So far, her last year in high school has been hectic and full of work, yet she is excited and looking forward to all of the opportunities that lie ahead in her future.