CNMI team does well in US theater festival

After attending the National Forensic League Competitions in Philadelphia, 11 members of the CNMI team moved on to Lincoln Nebraska for the International Thespian Society’s Festival 2005, held June 20 to 26.

This festival marked the 75th year of the Thespian organization, now operating under the auspices of the Educational Theatre Association.

“The festival gave our students another and quite different experience since it was held on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, home of The Corn Huskers,” said head coach Harold Easton.

The CNMI team went from one busy and pressure packed week to another. They had a number of goals:
* College interviews and auditions to qualify for scholarships;
* Workshops to further their theatre education;
* Viewing plays by their peers.
* Presenting their own play in the Regional Play Marathon.

The invitation to participate in the Regional play Marathon was deemed a great honor since only 12 groups were participating, selected from over 3,400 students in attendance from most of the 50 states, plus Australia, New Zealand and the CNMI.

All of the CNMI team members participated in this student-designed and -directed production, rehearsing everyday for their Saturday performance of the play “Widows Mite,” which was well-received at the UNL’s 500-seat Howell theatre.

The team also had the opportunity to see others perform, seeing between 12 and 20 plays during the week, some in the 2,400 seat Lied Auditorium, some in the Howell Theatre, and others in the 200 seat “Black Box Theatre,” The Carson, named for it’s benefactor, former “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson.

“Some of our team had fond memories of ‘The Carson,’ since in the past years they had performed there as part of the ‘One-Act Play Festival,’” said Easton.

The plays the team saw ranged from Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle to Sweeny Todd to Ragtime, to various original and other more well-known productions.

The students also participated in workshops, between three to five of them, enhancing their performing, singing and technical skills. Each workshop lasted for two-plus hours. These workshops provided the team with a chance to not only meet fellow Thespians from all over, but to work with them in theatrical projects.

Last year, one of these workshops inspired Saipan Southern High School’s Dong Hwi Shim to focus on scenic design, which led to his designing the set for West Side Story, the CNMI’s Thespian Chapter play in November 2004, and for Once Upon A Mattress, the Friends of the Arts Youth Theatre production in May 2005.

Shim was one of the three students actively seeking college admissions and scholarship auditions for their college careers. He was joined by Marianas High School senior Matthew Quiatchon and MHS graduate Jon Brian Tabora. Shim focused on design, and had his own small display in the Lied to show off his impressive model and portfolio. Tabora and Quiatchon focused on the performing arts, doing a number of auditions for various colleges and universities.

“The colleges were quite impressed with their work and the students have already sent off admission applications,” said Easton.

“I enjoyed the Thespian Festival week filled with excellent main stage plays, great work shops, and great college opportunities. I learned a lot of things from theatre students and professionals around the world. This year’s festival inspired me to open up my creativity wider than before,” said Shim.

Juniors Emily Jang and Alexa Yamashita of Marianas High School also got a jump on things by spending a great deal of time investigating the colleges and university opportunities at the festival to align themselves for next year’s audition process. Kelvin Rodeo, also of MHS, has made attending next year’s Festival a primary goal of this school year (“I’ve got to come back!”).

“Overall, it was a busy productive week for our CNMI Thespian Team, with their day starting at 8am and running till 10pm when the curtain came down on the evening’s productions at the Lied Auditorium,” Easton said. “The CNMI can be proud of their work and the image they presented to the festival!”

Post curtain activities gave the students an additional opportunity to meet others at the “Comedy Shop” and the various Theme Dances organized by the festival.

Jennifer Jang said it best: “The ITS festival is such a great learning experience. It provided us new challenges and opportunities, especially seeing the Lied Auditorium Shows, they were great eye openers. We experienced, we learned, and then we bring back our new gained knowledge and contribute to theatre growth in the CNMI.”

Team members were: From Saipan Southern High School Troupe 6594: Rose Marie Wakit and Shim; and from the Marianas High School Troupe 5374: Yamashita, Tabora, Rodeo, Quiatchon, Jang, Emily Jang, and Ronn Arii.

The sponsors at the festival were Bertha Leon Guerrero and Easton from MHS. The sponsor for SSHS was Andrew Golden.