JAF Thespians to Compete at One Acts
With a passion for acting and everything theater, John A. Ferguson’s Thespian National Honor Society will compete at this year’s One Act Competition. During this 3-day event Ferguson Thespians will compete alongside students from schools in District 8 and 12. The event will take place at Hialeah High School from October 23rd through the 25th.
Want to see their performance? Ferguson students can get a sneak peek of this year’s competition performance titled: “At the Bottom of Lake Missoula”. This one-act show will be showcased in the Ferguson Auditorium on October 18th at 7:00 p.m.
The play is about a sophomore named Pam who is dealing with grief after having lost her family by a tornado. The Thespian National Honor Society performs in-house before the competition as a live rehearsal. “This way it can be critiqued, and it is a great way to practice it live before competition” shared Senior, Co-President Emily Gonzalez. Ferguson students can enjoy the performance and at the same time, will be practice for when the society runs it for competition. The performance is half of a full-length play and will be performed for an event called Evening of One Acts.
This is not the first year that the Thespian Honor Society has competed in One Acts. “For the last two years the school has earned straight superiors,” said Emily. It is not all about winning for those who participate, it is about: the journey to get there, the camaraderie in the performances and individual growth. “It’s not about who won…because there is no winner or loser. It is about how much better you can get,” said Senior, Co-President Maria Garcia.
The Thespian National Honor Society is an honorary theater organization made up of students who have first entered and participated in the Drama Club. Once a student has been awarded 10 points through participation in events, the Drama Club member can become a “Thespian” (Points are earned by participating in events and turning in baked sale items).
Members of the Thespian National Honor Society have interests that range from performance; as well as, costume design, lighting and sound. As part of the Thespian Honor Society, students “go to competition; such as, the One Act Competition and Individual Events (IE’s)” as mentioned by Emily. She also added that the society has “coffee houses like mini shows, field trips and even a large event for the Spring Musical” which can be fun, especially for students who may find competitions daunting.
The honor society encourages kids with different interests to join. All who have a passion for theatre are welcome to join. The society’s co-presidents Maria Garcia and Emily Gonzalez have a goal to expand the society and raise interest.
“There is always a place for anyone in theatre. Whether you like technical or performing part. If you like to do make-up you have a spot for make-up design. If you want to sing, then obviously you can sing. We always want helping hands so if you want to move props and get a cord then so be it,” said Maria. “To be in drama you don’t have to be the best actor, there is something for everybody. We have all become a family that supports each other so even if you think there is no spot for you there always will be as long as you show that dedication to our program,” shared Emily.
More Competitions to Come,
In addition to the One Act Competition, Ferguson’s Thespian National Honor Society will compete in Individual competitions on Nov 23 (at Miami Arts Studio) and December 27 (location TBD).