Gold medalists in regional thespian will head for Nebraska

A total of 29 students from mostly public secondary schools on island were named gold medalists in the 2012 Thespian Regional Competition and will officially represent the CNMI in the national tilt in Lincoln, Nebraska, in June.

Organized by the National Forensic League board, finalists vied for the chance to advance to the nationals during a whole-day competition on Saturday at Saipan Southern High School.

Contenders in the thespian regional event were the top performers in the contest categories during the first four preliminary rounds throughout the year, which were determined through accumulative points gained in every contest round. Since the beginning of the school year, hundreds of students have joined in these preliminary events.

In the junior thespian division, six students were named gold medalists in four categories. Four students from Hopwood Junior High School won first place awards: Mikhail Alcantara for monologue; Annabel Manzo for solo musical; and the team of Mary Jane Pepito and Stephanie Lumbad for mime. From Grace Christian Academy, gold winners were Angela Cruz and Alexa Go for duet acting.

From the senior division, the first place awardees were Saipan Southern High School’s Chae Won Hwang for monologue; SSHS’ Anna Rose Deleon Guerrero for solo musical; the Marianas High School team of Harold Aranda and Jorem Guardian for duet acting; and the SSHS team of Julius Innocencio and Raymar Denora for mime.

For the scenic design category, the overall winner was MHS’ Dennis De Guia; MHS’ Hannah Alcordo for costume design; SSHS’ Annie Kim for marketing; and MHS’ Salvi Villanueva for film.

The 13-member MHS Glee Club Rhythm N’ Harmony was hailed the regional competition’s overall winner for group musical category. The group recently bagged the Sweepstakes Trophy at the Tumon Bay Music Festival in Guam.

Harold Easton, chapter director for the Thespian Society in the Western Pacific Islands, said the first place winners in each contest category will comprise the CNMI Team that will go on to the thespian society festival. He described this year’s delegation as extremely talented and has great potential to make it big in the nationals.

During the awarding ceremonies held at Canton Restaurant in Garapan, Easton emphasized the need for the group to stick with their practice sessions.

For Mikhail Alcantara, joining the thespian event helps him hone his skill and allows him to gain exciting experiences. Last year, Alcantara made it to the Top 6 in the nation for monologue—his first time to compete at the nationals.

“Hopefully I can better what I did last year so I can bring the first place award in the same category for the NMI,” he told Saipan Tribune. This year marks his second time in the competition.

Anna Rose Deleon Guerrero, gold medalist for solo musical and monologue categories, said this will be her fifth time to go to the nationals and, as always, she’s excited about the new experience. She vowed to work harder this time to better represent the CNMI.

“I’ve learned not to down myself based on other people so if you have our own strengths that no one else has, don’t be afraid to shine with it because no two performers are exactly the same,” she said.

Salvi Villanueva, gold recipient for film, also vowed to work extra hard on his entry. His If Only short film was adjudged the regional winner in his category. This will be his second time to represent the CNMI at the nationals.