With the group interpretation and contest play season coming to an end, also comes the end of the 2023-2024 theatrical season. In addition to hosting the I.H.S.A. state competition, came the success of both of S.H.S.’s competitive theatre teams.
This year’s group interpretation, commonly known as “G.I.” performed their interpretation of the novel and film “Words on Bathroom Walls” by Julia Walton. In the sectional competition, the G.I. team placed second, falling just one point behind Huntley High School’s interpretation of “The Great Gatsby.” While the team did not come out victorious, they did secure their spot in the state semi-finals.
In the G.I.’s preliminary round, the team was unable to break finals. This kept the unfortunate streak, considering S.H.S. has not participated in the top-six competition since 2014. Winning the all-state recognition was sophomores Avery Moran and Gavin Fischer, juniors Kaitlyn Moore and Ashton Stange, and senior Henry Oberg.
G.I. cast member Ashton Stange reflected on the results and said, “We get better and closer every year to breaking finals. We learn new things every year and I have no doubt that if we bring everything we did this year again next year, we will have a good chance of making finals with a new script.”
In terms of contest play, the cast performed the play “A Tiny Miracle with a Fiberoptic Unicorn” by Dan Zolidas. For the first time since 2019, the contest play cast placed second in sectionals, gaining a performance in the state final competition. However, they were unable to place at state. Although, sophomore Gavin Fischer, juniors Cory McGowan, Rileigh Wren, and Christina Moore, and senior Ben Boze were awarded an all-state cast recognition. This was a major learning experience for the cast.
Assistant director Ellen Johnson remembers the outstanding performance.
“There will always be something to learn from while doing any production. I believe that, with the feedback from the judges, we learned the importance of utilizing the space of our set to better enhance our sense of competition. It is our hope that we will be able to build a set that can reflect the talent of our cast!” shared Johnson.
The Sterling community as a whole praised both casts for their memorable performances. The directors of both productions have begun planning their plot to win for next year, and hope to get both teams to place in the top three.
Overall, it was a smooth season for group interpretation and contest play, along with a learning experience for the years to come.
