Singing, dancing, and monologues, oh my! From reenacting scenes from The Wizard of Oz to performing “Toledo Surprise,” Shorecrest’s Troupe 3140 showcased their hard work at the District IV Thespian Festival.

     Founded in 1929, the International Thespian Society is one of the oldest existing honor societies. Each year, its members attend the district competition, where they participate in various theatrical categories including playwriting, technical theater, costume design, one act plays, and more. 

     The Shorecrest Upper School Thespians competed in the District IV Thespian Festival at PCCA Gibbs High School on December 7th, with both the troupe and individuals performing throughout the day. Senior and president of Shorecrest’s International Thespian Society troupe Remy de Paris said the competition was both “nerve-wracking,” and “incredibly exciting.”

     The Thespian Festival may seem like a contest for who is best, but in reality, it is a place where friends are made and talents are celebrated. US Performing Arts Producer & Thespian Director Michael McCarthy said, “What I loved about last Saturday was the relationship between Shorecrest and other schools.” McCarthy, in his iconic Irish accent, described the event as having “a really good vibe.”

     Each act, whether individual or group, is judged on a four-point scale on five different performance metrics, which vary by category. Final scores are added together, with the highest possible score of 20. Based on this score, acts are given a fair, good, excellent, or superior rating. The best act in each category is presented with the Critics Choice award, and second place is recognized with an honorable mention.

          After hours of anxious waiting, the final awards were posted. The troupe earned ten excellents and four superiors, including a Critics Choice award won by sophomore Sofia Lee. Upon seeing her name next to the coveted award, Lee said, “At first I thought it was a typo.”

      In addition to Lee’s success, the group performance, the song “Toledo Surprise” from The Drowsy Chaperone, was awarded an excellent. The group consisted of seniors Luca Baker and Remy de Paris, juniors Kaelie Dieter, Tanner Johnson, and Alex Lewis, sophomores Tyler Biggar, Summer Farkas, Isabella Jank, Daniel Cooper, and Jill Marcus, and freshmen Maddison Cirino, Tanyiah Ellison, Boston Littlepage-Santana, Ella Mathews, Sanjay Sinha, and Alex Jank.  Superior awards were earned by Lee, Dieter, Farkas, and junior Sally Keane. Excellent awards were earned by Baker, de Paris, Mathews, Lewis, Johnson, Marcus, Sinha, Jank, and junior Jasper Hallock-Wishner.

     The District IV Festival ended in an award ceremony Saturday evening, where Critics Choice award winners performed their winning acts. Lee performed both of her monologues, entitled “No Substitutes” by Don Zolidis and “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” by Tom Stoppard. 

     The District IV Thespian Festival is a place where all people with a love for theater can come together and learn more about their area of interest. Shorecrest’s thespians took home several awards at the District Festival, and look to earn more at the State Festival in March.