TORRINGTON – Beautiful backdrops. Fantastic make-up. Incredible costumes. Beautiful music.
And, of course, skilled acting.
Those are all just pieces of the puzzle that make up the Torrington High School drama troop, which will be showcasing its WHSAA State Drama entries tonight and Saturday at 7 p.m. in the THS auditorium. Admission is one non-perishable canned food item, which will be donated to charity. There are monologues, duologues, songs and entire scenes. There’s even a one-act play – and that’s just the on-stage performances.
The showcase will feature 14 on-stage acts and 12 technical displays that cover nearly every aspect of the theater world. Erin Jespersen, vocal director, said the theater students have been working hard since August on their entries. Christine Quillen is the director, and Aaron Bahmer serves as the set and technical director.
“A lot of it they have to do on their own,” Jespersen said. “They check in with us. It’s intense, but the kids understand it.”
The kids understand it because the troop finished second in the state last year. The troop lost nine seniors, but Jespersen said the younger thespians have stepped up to ensure that Torrington has another strong showing this year.
“We’re very excited about that,” she said. “Last year was kind of unexpected, but we had kids in almost every category and it looks like we have a lot of the categories covered this year, which is really exciting. Our young kids have really stepped up and they’re fantastic. The underclassmen have done a really great job and they’re really dedicated.”
One of those underclassmen, sophomore Sydney Harris, is participating in several competitions both on the stage and off. Harris said she enjoys participating in drama because it is good preparation for her future career.
“Doing this is a lot of fun and it’s a way I can prepare for my future,” she said. “It allows me to explore. There are a lot of job opportunities for this and you get to work with great people and it’s a lot of fun. It’s a great time.”
According to Jespersen, several students have submitted original scripts to be judged and critiqued, and one student, Cade Ludlow, wrote and directed a five-minute film. Students participating in technical events like scenic design, fantasy costume design and realistic costume design will also present their projects during the showcase and their portfolios will be on display.
“The kids will talk about their makeup and most of them will get to do their stuff,” Jespersen said. “Some of them, like publicity and costume design, will have their things on display in the commons and they will talk about it.”
The showcase will serve as a unique opportunity for the troop to try out their pieces in front of an audience before they arrive in Casper. For Harris, this is just the first step on the road to a state championship.
“I’m excited,” she said. “Last year we got runner-up and I think this year will have a really strong showing and I think that we can do even better.”
