On Oct. 5, selected representatives from Tesoro’s Actor Repertoire classes competed against other high schools in Orange County, showcasing their theatrical talents at RoleAbout, an educational theater celebratory festival.
Arriving at Woodbridge High School, Tesoro’s representatives prepared themselves to compete through four divided hours of preliminary rounds, with workshops sprinkled in throughout the day. Students submitted their efforts in their respective categories—including songs, monologues, stagecraft, production design, scenes, improvisations, costumes and films—hoping for their name to be announced amongst others as one of many finalists.
The thirteen total finalists from Tesoro had thirty minutes to prepare their final pieces before showcasing them in front of an audience filled with teachers, aspiring thespians, family members and a panel of judges who would decide their theatrical fate. With the majority of Tesoro’s finalists being seniors, this year’s festival provided one final chance to present how far they have come as a thespian or prove themselves to whoever may be watching in the crowd. With the thirty minutes of preparation coming to a close, the final competition round began.
After an hour and thirty minutes of performing and supporting other actors and a subsequential forty-five-minute period of workshops, the awards ceremony commenced. Seven students from Tesoro High School took home awards in various categories in addition to other finalists.
Winners:
Modern Musical Theatre Solo
First place: Isaiah Medina, “I am Aldolpho”
Modern Comedic Monologue
Third place: Abby Jacobs, “Tough Choices for the New Century”
Dramatic Film & TV Scene
First place: Addy Engelken, Aurora Biriba, “Booksmart”
Stage Crew Competition:
Second place: Caitlyn Willoughby, Emma Beddingfield, Aminah Sesay
Production Design:
First place: Aminah Sesay, Audio Design
Finalists:
Golden Age Musical Theatre Solo
Sydney Gordon, “Sing Happy”
Contemporary Comedic Monologue
Addy Engelken, “Big Love”
Dramatic TV & Film Monologue
Jacob Madison, “Ted Lasso”
Modern Dramatic Monologue
Ellie Smallwood, “Miss Julie”
Comedic TV & Film Monologue
Yiling Li, “Barry”
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