FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 7, 2012

CONTACT: Katie Lloyd, 215-853-1032
Communications Specialist

North Penn High School Theatre Scores in

Two High School Shakespeare Competitions

LANSDALE –Congratulations to seven students from North Penn High School Theatre who traveled to the 5th Annual High School Shakespeare Competition hosted by the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University on March 3.NPHS theatre students who called themselves “Team Shakespeare” included seniors Jessica Arnold, Gabe Quinodoz, Catherine Quinn, and DianaRose Weiler, junior Pascal Portney and sophomores Alex Breth and Erica Hutchinson.

The competition is comprised of three rounds with two panels in each round of either monologues or duet/trio scenes and is judged by professional actors/teachers from the Philadelphia area. Each student performer is judged on a scale in categories covering voice/diction, appropriate physical movement, character objectives, emotion and commitment to the role and use of Shakespeare’s text in language and understanding and the degree of difficulty for the selection. At the end of the competition, scores from each round are tabulated to determine first, second and third place trophies for both monologues and scenes. Schools sending two or more students are also rated by combining the scores of all of their participants for Team Trophies. This year, 21 schools from PA, NJ and DE participated in the competition with 16 scenes and 31 monologues.

NPHS students did extremely well in both categories. NPHS junior Pascal Portney was awarded the first place trophy for his monologue as Casca from Julius Caesar. North Penn High School seniors Jessica Arnold and DianaRose Weiler were awarded the third place trophy for duet/trio scenes with a scene from The Merry Wives of Windsor. NPHS sophomoreErica Hutchinson was awarded the third place trophy for her monologue as Lady Anne from Richard III. For their combined efforts, NPHS Team Shakespeare was awarded the first place Team Trophy, an outstanding award showing the strength, depth and ensemble work of a school’s participants. In addition, all of the North Penn High School students were asked to showcase their work in a special performance at the end of the competition. The showcase presenters are chosen by the judges for exemplary and representative work from all the pieces. This is the first time all North Penn students participating were asked to showcase. From the showcases, scholarships to the DeSales University Department of Performing and Fine Arts were awarded. Pascal Portney was awarded the top scholarship of $4,000.00 per year and Erica Hutchinson was awarded a $1,000 per year scholarship.

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The Pennsylvania Shakespeare competition is one of two high school Shakespeare competitions that NPHS Theatre participates in each year. On February 20, Erica Hutchinson also represented the school at the English-Speaking Union Philadelphia Branch’s Shakespeare Competition at the Arden Theatre. After a highly competitive opening round with students from the 18 participating schools presenting Shakespeare monologues and sonnets, Erica was one of ten students that placed in the semi-final round in which students presented a cold reading of Shakespeare after 15 minutes of rehearsal. For her work, Erica was awarded the third place medal and a $250 scholarship. She was presented with the awards at a reception at the Arden Theatre on March 4. Since NPHS began participating in the English Speaking Union Competition in 2001, NPHS students have taken first place five times, second place two times, third place one time or placed in the semi-final rounds each year.

All of the participants to the Shakespeare competitions over the years have performed in NPHS Theatre fall productions and spring musicals and have taken the theatre class cycles of Introduction to Acting, Advanced Acting, and/or Drama Major. The seven Team Shakespeare students will all be appearing in featured roles in the upcoming spring musical, Meredith Willson’s The Music Manbeing held April 26 to 28, 2012. Most of the participants have also gone on to study acting, musical theatre, music, technical theatre or communications at noted college, university or conservatory programs.

Asked about the Shakespeare competition experience, director Andrea Roney said, “Measuring their work against other schools and students is always an educational and eye-opening experience for our students. The best part of Saturday’s competition was having a parent from another school deliberately tell our team that not only had it been a pleasure to watch their work and talent throughout the competition, but it had been a joy to watch how respectful and supportive they had been with each other and the students from other schools.” Roney smiled and added, “Trophies and applause are great, but a comment like that, it doesn’t get better than that!”

For more information, please contact North Penn High School Theatre Teacher and Director

Andrea Lee Roney at .

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