The theater troupe left districts on Nov. 14 with an air of confidence as they had received five ratings of Top Honors, meaning a perfect score from judges. In addition, they received 26 Superior and 14 Excellent ratings. 

“I believe in them, even when they don’t believe in themselves,” theater teacher Jamaal Solomon said. “I’m really proud of them. I hope they’re proud of themselves.”

Senior Olivia Ahqlvist received a Superior performing Small Ensemble Musical with sophomore Mia Mazzanovich and junior Makenzie Wilde. The song chosen was “No” by Alanis Morissette, which is about taking back agency. It was given a score of Superior with just one point shy of a perfect score. 

“It was really emotional and raw,” Ahqlvist said. “It was a very important story to tell, so it was really validating for it to get such a high score. I was nervous that we were gonna mess [it] up, but it went really [well]. [It’s satisfying] having worked so hard for something and then seeing it pay off.”

 All of the thespians participated in the one-act and got to participate in events for different categories such as small group (which is usually three to seven people), large group (which is eight to 16 people), monologues, ensemble auditions, set-building and technical skill, with three auditions being allocated for each school. 

Orne, along with her group members sophomore Payton Zeegers, juniors William Lange, Sofia McLaughlin, Lana Carollo and senior Shaun Epperson received Top Honors for their small group performance of the song “Reasons to Run” from the musical “Fugitive Songs” written by Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen. 

 “Small group was the second to last [Top Honors category] to get announced,” Orne said. “All of us were pacing back and forth. Some of us weren’t eating. It finally released five minutes before the closing ceremony was supposed to start. We [were] all screaming. We were jumping around. They had to tell us to shut up. But it felt like we were on cloud nine; it was wonderful.”

Students from all over the district traveled to Lyman High School to compete, providing a unique opportunity for different troupes to network. 

“Watching myself come out of my social bubble a little bit has been nice, and it’s really fun to get to talk to other people and get to know them,” Orne said. “Usually, I am a little bit more held back and I stay with the troupe, but this year, I would go around a little bit more. It’s important to form those connections.”

The troupe felt a camaraderie with Lake Brantly especially, as they had been using the Hagerty auditorium to practice performances while theirs had been under construction. 

“Whatever they won, it felt like we were winning as well,” Ahqlvist said. “Even though I didn’t know them personally, I was still really proud of them, just like I would be for our troupe. [It] was really nice and different from usual.”

The experience was especially meaningful for upperclassmen as they got to attend it  for the last time, while also watching the younger generation of students experience the event with fresh eyes. 

“My mentee is a sophomore, and I’m so proud of her,” Orne said. “I definitely wasn’t at that level of my sophomore year. [It is nice] seeing the incoming talent and how far they’ve grown, and how much they can grow from here. I know the department’s in good hands. It’s very bittersweet.”

Six acts will travel to states, which will take place over spring break. The majority of the students have acts they can bring to states.

“We can’t really take our foot off the gas yet, because we still have a lot of work ahead of us, but we can only go up from here,” Orne said. “It is a little nerve wracking, because states are obviously way more competitive, but I have full faith in us, and I know we’re going to work hard and do well.”