By Lisa Duckers
Staff Writer
Kendall Busby / La Vista
Team Haha…, one of Mira Costa’s improv teams, won first place in the theatre games category at the Fullerton College High School Theatre Festival for a third year in a row on March 18 and 19. Costa drama student Danielle Kay also became a finalist at the festival for a dramatic monologue.
For over 30 years, thousands of drama students from all over Southern California have gone to Fullerton for two days of inspiration, competition and instruction. The students get the chance to demonstrate their talent to other schools and watch other schools display their own unique abilities as well.
“We were all pretty busy watching all of the great performances that lasted all day long,” senior Selena Feliciano said. “Even though not all of our scenes made it to finals, I truly feel that we put forth our best effort in all of the performances.”
Team Haha… is made up of seniors Leo Shaw and Laurel Andersen and juniors Delphi Borich, Duncan Gregory and Jordan Johnson. Gregory, Andersen and Shaw were on the winning team for the theatre games category last year as well.
While team Haha… secured first place, Team Work, Mira Costa’s other improv team, also made it to the finals of the theatre games. Team Work is made up of seniors Jason Boxer, Aiden Daye, J Tyler Johnson and sophomores Buster Baer and Molly Curtis.
“We’ve got a department full of extremely talented students—they’re good at singing, dancing, acting, tech, improv, etc,” Feliciano said. “It’s always cool to see everyone shine.”
In terms of solo work, sophomore Danielle Kay was a finalist in the contemporary dramatic monologue category with her performance from the contemporary drama “Earthquake Chica.”
This year, the festival took the opportunity to help California schools. Many schools throughout the state risk losing their visual and performing arts departments in the near future. Because of this, the participants made it their goal to showcase exactly why theater programs should not be cut from high schools.
“The festival sent recordings of the various performances to Sacramento to discourage our government from cutting the drama department from schools that don’t have enough money,” drama teacher Carol Mathews said.“It’s really amazing what they’re doing.”
Just as it has in previous years, the Fullerton Theatre Festival has provided experience as well as inspiration to many dedicated improvisers and drama students at Mira Costa.
The achievements made by the drama students and the improv teams at the festival have made them even more excited about the upcoming production of “All Shook Up.”
“I’m very glad about the way things worked out at the festival,” Mathews said. “And now that it’s done, we can begin to focus on our spring play.”
