Thespians “showcase” their talent: CCHS Thespians prepare for districts

BY SASHEEN JOSEPH

On November 16, the CCHS auditorium was filled with the ringing of laughter, gasps and, of course, applause for the Thespians Showcase. In preparation for their district competition, the showcase performance displayed the talent of CCHS actors and actresses with individual scenes.

The CCHS Thespians are active members of the District 13 Florida Thespians. This year they plan to bring 16 out of the 24 acts to center stage for the district level competition.

“[The students] started choosing their acts for districts around late September and went through my audition on October 2. After that they used class time, mornings and after-school rehearsals to work on their acts,” acting teacher Aaron Barton said. “I use the showcase to see what acts need more work or what needs changing before districts.”

The eyes of the audience remained glued to the stage.

All ears were tuned into performances such as “Dyin’ Ain’t So Bad” and “This Is Not Over Yet” performed by Nicholas and Nicole Ibanez. The eyes of the audience remained glued to the stage with performances of  “Boiling People in My Coffee” and “Too Darn Hot,” which were both choreographed by sophomore Donna Nesselroth.

“I was inspired by my choreographed pieces because they’re all such fun numbers. I really want all of these performances to be fun– not just for the people in them, but for the audience as well,” Nesselroth said. “I want the people in the audience to forget about their lives for a few minutes and have a good time.”

“There were many technical issues with the tracks, but the actors did a fantastic job in handling it professionally,” sophomore Ander Diaz said. 

Students chose what they wanted to perform, often seeking out to convey a message, whether it was a message of justice through a moving monologue, frayed relationships through witty song lyrics or awareness through captivating dialogue.

A memorable performance was titled “Fugue,” which was an introspective performance about the kidnapping and killing of three girls, one of them played by sophomore Rachel Goldberg. The actress worked before, after and during school to rehearse and perfect this piece.

“I decided to perform in this piece because it really moved me and I really want to move the judges as well as the audience in the same way,” sophomore Rachel Goldberg said.

There were many memorable moments in the Thespians Showcase. The common saying “the show must go on” applied throughout some of the performances. Due to technical issues with the audio playback, students in acts “Therapy” and “High Adventure” worked to keep the audience engaged with improvisation.

“There were many technical issues with the tracks, but the actors did a fantastic job in handling it professionally,” sophomore Ander Diaz said. “They called out the issues going on and made fun of all the characters, and then seamlessly continued the act when the music was fixed.”

The goal for CCHS Thespians was to gain some insight and experiences from an outside audience to better prepare for districts with this showcase. As ticket sales went toward covering funds for districts, the showcase supported the success of the CCHS Thespians.

Photo by Kayla Florenco