Speaking of champions

Speaking of champions

Comets to perform at high school speech festival in Ames

Two of five groups receiving top ratings Saturday named All-State

Over the weekend, the Charles City speech team earned top-notch ratings in Waterloo. On Monday afternoon, they learned two of it’s groups are All-State, and one will be performing Feb. 20 at the Iowa State Center. The Iowa High School Speech Association announced that Charles City’s Choral Reading and Readers Theatre casts had earned All-State Honors. Choral Reading will perform at the All-State Festival, but the Readers Theatre cast won’t because of a quota system at the festival, according to a new release from the Charles City speech team.

Monday’s announcement was preceded by a good showing by the Comet speech team at the Iowa High School Speech Association state large group contest Saturday at Waterloo West High School. Judges awarded Division I, or excellent, ratings to eight Charles City performances, and Choral Reading and Readers Theatre casts were named “outstanding.” Earning I ratings were the Readers Theatre, Choral Reading, two ensemble acts, and a short film. Earning II ratings were a short film, improvisational group, and an ensemble act.

The team was under the direction of Mike Lembke and Brenda Bailey, with volunteer help from Linda Brant and Tony Holschlag.

Charles City’s Choral Reading cast presented an original script written by Linda Brant and Mike Lembke titled “Rockin’ Robin (Hood),” a comedic parody of the Robin Hood legend. The performance received I ratings from all three judges.

At the All-State Festival they will perform at 2:28 p.m. in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium in Ames for critic Wayne O’Brien, a former speech coach at West Union and a member of the IHSSA Hall of Fame.

Cast members are seniors Jonathan Baxter, Brennan Richards, Jenna Grober and Faith Slinger; juniors Nathaniel Reams and Kaitlyn Pellymonter; sophomores Ryan Parker, Carter West, Gillian King, John Perez, Joe Iseneker, Jacob Hallett and Brian Feres; and freshmen Ruby Peterson and Bethany Linde.

Charles City’s Readers Theatre cast, also named outstanding on Saturday, and will receive All-State medals at closing ceremonies of the All-State Festival.

The Comets’ selection was an adaptation of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by Barbara Robinson. Cast members are seniors Brennan Richards, Jonathan Baxter, Jenna Grober and Faith Slinger; juniors Nathaniel Reams, Ryan Parker, Olivia Ayers, Karissa Jensen and Kaitlyn Pellymonter; sophomores Brian Feres, Cameron McKenna and Carter West; freshmen Shane Fleming and Ruby Peterson.

“The major difference between Readers Theatre and Choral Reading is that Readers Theatre emphasizes character development and Choral Reading emphasizes ensemble blend,” the IHSAA judges manual says.

Three ensemble acting groups performed at state. Isaac Fortunato and Ellen Wandro received I ratings from all three of their judges for “DMV Tyrant” by Christopher Durang. The comic scene shows the frustration of fighting a computer error while trying to get a driver’s license. Acting the nurse and Juliet from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” Olivia Ayers and Gillian King received an overall I rating. The third ensemble, “The Role of Della” by John Wooten, acted by Hannah Menken, Amy Wolfe and Olivia Wolfe, received a II rating.

Also receiving a I at state was a short film “Too Late,” which was directed and edited by Ryan Wolfe. It had a serious plot of young lovers split apart by death. Group members included Olivia Wolfe, John Perez, Mary Field, Mija Cotton, Jocelyn Lewis, Amy Wolfe, Abram Marth, and Sebastian Villagomez.

The second film, “Hamlet,” directed and edited by Jacob Hallett, received a II rating. Cast members included Ashlyn Bauer, Elias King, Hunter Cother, McKenzie White, and Montana Schmidt. The story was a murder mystery in a theater.

An improv group of Hunter Cother, McKenzie White and Montana Schmidt received a II rating with their draw of “watch a film come alive.”

Parents and friends who plan to attend the All-State Festival may buy wristbands from Linda Brant for $8, while they last. The festival is held in several buildings at the Iowa State Center on the ISU campus in Ames. Having the wristbands ahead of time allows an audience member to enter any performance building without having to walk to the ticket sales booth in the Scheman Building.

The team will be attending the All-State Festival with financial support from the Fine Arts Century Club .

The speech team is already practicing for individual speech district contest, which will be held in Greene on Feb. 27.

Staff Report