THS Drama takes first place in state festival

Holly Dorman
Posted 12/21/21

The Torrington High School Drama Team took perfect scores at the 2021 State Thespian One-Act Festival

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

THS Drama takes first place in state festival

Posted

TORRINGTON – The Torrington High School Drama Team took perfect scores at the 2021 State Thespian One-Act Festival in the Proscenium category from Dec. 9-11 at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne.

Out of 22 total teams in the three categories of Arena, Devised and Proscenium, THS Drama earned perfect scores from each of the three judges with its performance of “Divided We Fall,” a series of monologues from the perspective of teenagers. Playwright Bryan Starchman wrote the play in 2013 with the goal of highlighting the struggles many teenagers go through. The judges especially enjoyed the lights accompanying the show, which THS drama student Anthony Minter.

THS Drama member Jeremy Barker recalled the day they moved the props into the college for the performance. The set was a simple one, with nothing but a few boxes and the kids dressed in hoodies and jeans.

“We had to take the boxes across the ice,” Barker said, remembering how the crew slipped and slid across the ice to get the props inside.

The other kids laughed, remembering that day as a good one, even if they almost had to leave one of the boxes behind.

The Drama Team is still reeling from such a win.

“Every morning, I have to make sure it’s not a dream,” Brandon Stone said.

Other students expressed their excitement and astonishment.

“It’s still setting in,” said one student.

“This little school in nowhere, Wyoming is going to the international competition!” said another.

“It’s kind of refreshing.”

“It’s a good feeling to have.”

“Wait.” Stone stopped the others as they talked over each other. “We’re better than the football team!”

Mental health can be a difficult topic for young teenagers to tackle. The kids on the team feel they have made a difference in their school though.

“Nobody is alone,” cast member Avey Jespersen said. “You can always find a safe place to talk to somebody.”

In the play, a handful of teens share experiences and trials that have weighed on them. Each of them struggles with something different, and each one finds the courage to speak up and seek help and support. The set is simple, keeping the focus on the words being delivered. Once each teen and a teacher have all had their chance to speak, they find strength beyond their own as they accept each other.

“This world has problems, but those problems can be solved,” cast member Elias Bustamante said.

Bustamante’s classmates agreed with him.

“Mental health is something that needs to be talked about,” cast member Olivia Judkins said.

Cast member Bethany Wunibald felt the play encouraged its viewers to speak out.

“Share your story, even if it doesn’t seem significant,” she said. “It’s ok to share.”

Wunibald and her classmates also appreciated how relatable they felt the play was.

“We got different comments,” Bustamante said, remembering the comments the cast received from teens and adults both at different shows.

The team is looking forward to the international competition to take place in June 2022 in Indiana and is always accepting donations to help cover the cost of travel and other expenses in preparation for the competition.

“It was an amazing gift to feel their energy flow through the audience and to see everything we worked to create find its place,” director and teacher Chris Quillen said about the performance. “Trophies are nice, but getting to witness their performance, the audience reaction and seeing their pride in a job well done was the best part.”