Sterling High School’s Group Interpretation, also known as GI, attended IHSA State for the 27th year in a row. This year, the S.H.S. theater department chose to do “8-Bit Christmas” as their GI show.

  “8-Bit Christmas” takes place in Chicago during the 1980s when ten-year-old Jake Doyle is looking for the newest gaming system, the Nintendo. “8-Bit Christmas” only has two parts in the GI, the ensemble and the narrator. 

  The narrator, Jake Doyle, was played by senior Israel Grande. Grande’s role was different from last year in C.O.D.A.. Grande shared that  he “played an ensemble role. In all technicality, I did not have a constant role throughout the piece; rather, I played a handful of ‘background’ characters. This year I got to play the ‘narrator’ of the story in order to lead the audience around the story.” 

The ensemble consisted of freshmen Avery Moran and Gavin Fischer, sophomores Ashton Stange, Brinley Francis, Kyle Hutchison, Owen Gaffey ,and Rileigh Wren, and seniors Anna Hutchison, Emma Stroup, and Kaidence Stroup. Ensemble members play various roles through the performance. 

 Moran was “really nervous coming in as a freshman, especially since almost everyone was older and more experienced. It was also really exciting to be involved in something new” to her. 

  This year, GI hosted sectionals at S.H.S. on March 18, 2023. The GI won sectionals for the second year in a row. All cast members received All-Sectional Cast Members. 

  The last time the S.H.S. GI team won state was in 2005. Current GI director Weston Henry was a part of the winning team. On March 23 the GI team left for state, with hopes of winning for the first time in 18 years.

  When GI arrived in Springfield, where this year’s state competition took place, they visited the competition site to test volumes of voices in the performance area. 

  On Friday, March 24, the GI team performed. There were nine teams in the S.H.S. GI team’s preliminary round, two of whom were the winner and runner-up of state last year. Of the nine teams on the Golden Warrior’s side of the bracket, only three move on to day two.

 The group unfortunately did not make it to day two. The GI team received fourth in their prelim, only two points away from advancing to day two. Overall, the Golden Warrior’s GI team placed seventh out of the 18 teams there. 

  Freshmen Avery Moran and Gavin Fishcer, sophomores Kyle Hutchison, Owen Gaffey, and Rileigh Wren, and Seniors Emma Stroup and Israel Grande all received All-State Cast Member. To receive this award four or five judges have to nominate them for great characters, swift movement, and exceptional focus.

  The GI group should be extremely proud of themselves and the accomplishments they made this year.