Student dramatists win awards at Ohlone
Recently San Benito High School took 56 students to the Ohlone
Theater and Dance Festival and brought back three trophies.
The students competed with more than 300 students from 49
different schools, many of which have larger, better-funded
programs than San Benito High’s.
Student dramatists win awards at Ohlone
Recently San Benito High School took 56 students to the Ohlone Theater and Dance Festival and brought back three trophies.
The students competed with more than 300 students from 49 different schools, many of which have larger, better-funded programs than San Benito High’s.
Matt Thorpe took home a first place trophy for contemporary men’s monologue; Dina Silva took home a 2nd place trophy for student original monologue and the school took home a fourth place trophy for the Children’s theater production.
“It was really nice for the students to be recognized,” said drama teacher Christina Plank. “Especially when the kids were competing against some students from schools with more emphasis on arts.”
Thorpe won his first place trophy for the piece “Pieces of Life,” written by Nathaniel Spears. It was his second time performing the work, his first was last month for the Linea Festival, for which he also received an award.
“I was very surprised to win,” Thorpe said. “The competition was very tough and everyone did a great job.”
Last year was San Benito’s first year at the theater and arts festival, but the majority of students who participated in this year’s event were sophomores and were not eligible to participate last year, so it was their first year here.
Which makes sophomore Silva’s second-place win for student original monologue all the sweeter.
“It was my first time at the festival and I was competing against some people who have been acting longer than I have,” Silva said. “So to have second place, it was so great.”
Likewise, the fourth place trophy that the drama team composed of Justen Lopez, Monica Arranda, Taryn Thompson, Steven Day and Stephanie Milberger won for their production of “The Frog Prince and the Princess Brat” was so much sweeter since none of the students involved expected to win.
Additionally, the dance department won a first place trophy for best World Ensemble for their hip hop/salsa number Muevete, choreographed by Patricia McArdle. The featured dancers included Sean Fisher; Breanna Quintero; Suzanne Grocha-O’Neill; Jessica Sanchez; Michael Perry; Anthony De La Cerda; and Denise Lopez.
