Students Honored at Shakespeare Competition

Cedar City, UT – This weekend the 41st annual Shakespeare Competition, hosted by the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Southern Utah University, gave out dozens of awards and scholarships to drama, dance and music students. The competition is the largest scholastic Shakespeare competition in the country, and this was a record-breaking year with nearly 3,400 students from 109 schools in five states.

 From September 28 to 30, students competed before numerous adjudicators on the Festival’s stages and at several other venues on the SUU campus. Judges consisted of arts professionals with strong literary and performance backgrounds. The judges came to Cedar City from across the country, including New York and Los Angeles, and not only judged the competition, but provided critiques of performances and gave feedback to the young artists. Judges also offered numerous workshops on topics such as stage combat, improvisation, movement, modern dance techniques, and choral performance.

“There really is nothing like the Shakespeare Competition,” said Michael Bahr, education director for the Festival. “For forty years the competition has provided young people an outlet to share their passion and excitement for the arts, while also cultivating the future generation of arts professionals.”

Providing wonderful opportunities, the competition recognizes and educates students in four areas: acting, dance/choreography, music, and technical theatre. At the conclusion of the competition selected students received trophies and scholarships to study with professionals at Southern Utah University and the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

As part of the total experience, students were able to attend the Festival’s productions of The Tavern, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged), and How to Fight Loneliness, as well as an SUU production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

The competition was divided into six divisions: Buckingham (for schools with enrollment of 2,001 or more), Oxford (enrollment of 1,701 to 2,000), Cambridge (enrollment of 801 to 1,700), Westminster (enrollment of 800 or fewer), Stratford (junior high and middle schools of any size) and Essex (schools or groups which are not members of state high school associations).

Acting Competition

For the acting portion of the competition, students were able to compete in monlogues, duo/trio scenes, and ensembles. Monologue competitors presented for the judges a two- to four-minute monologue from a Shakespeare play or sonnet. In the duo/trio scenes competition, two or three actors presented a three- to five-minute scene from a Shakespeare play or sonnet. In the ensemble competition, a group of students from a school presented a six- to ten-minute Shakespearean scene.

In addition, first, second, and third place overall sweepstake prizes were awarded to the school in each division with the most total points from all categories.

Also, several scholarships were presented in the acting competition:

The first place winners in the duo/trio scene and monologue categories are awarded scholarships to either Southern Utah University or the Utah Shakespeare Festival summer classes, depending on the grade of the student.

Ray Jones Award: Given to seniors, this award is a $1000 scholarship to Southern Utah University.

Barbara Barrett Award: Given to juniors and under, this award is a $500 scholarship tothe Festival’s summer acting intensive Actor Training, or a tuition scholarship to Shakespeare for Junior Actors.

Larry Lott Acting Award: In conjunction with the ensemble competition, judges annually recognize the best actor in an ensemble scene in each division. The recipient of this award received a trophy for his or her accomplishments and, if a senior, a $1,000 scholarship to SUU.

ACTING WINNERS

Buckingham Division

Sweepstakes First Place: Hillcrest High School; Midvale, Utah
Sweepstakes Second Place: American Fork High School; American Fork, Utah
Sweepstakes Third Place: Lone Peak High School; Highland, Utah

Ensemble First Place: American Fork High School; American Fork, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Bingham High School; South Jordan, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Hillcrest High School; Midvale, Utah

Ray Jones Award and Duo/Trio Scenes First Place (tie): Gabriel Aina, Annee Burton, and Collin Voeller; Hillcrest High School; Midvale, Utah; and Scott Abbott, Dakota Heugly, and Luke Morley; Hillcrest High School; Midvale, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Ariana Bagley and Mikey Rowe; Riverton High School; Riverton, Utah

Ray Jones Award and Monologue First Place (tie): Maddie Elledge; Hillcrest High School; Midvale, Utah; and Sasha Fazulyanov; American Fork High School; American Fork, Utah; and Jessica Sannar; American Fork High School; American Fork, Utah

Larry Lott Acting Award: Jessica Sannar; American Fork High School; American Fork, Utah

Oxford Division

Sweepstakes First Place: Provo High School; Provo, Utah
Sweepstakes Second Place: Alta High School; Sandy, Utah
Sweepstakes Third Place: Highland High School; Salt Lake City, Utah

Ensemble First Place: Alta High School; Sandy, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Salem Hills High School; Salem, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Corner Canyon High School; Draper, Utah

Ray Jones Award and Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Haylee McKinnon and Hope Weaver; Corner Canyon High School; Draper, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Juliana Haroldsen and Krystina Sorensen; Provo High School; Provo, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Savanna Cox, Kaleb Maher, and Sam Schino; Corner Canyon High School; Draper, Utah

Ray Jones Award and Monologue First Place: Rachel Stark; Layton High School; Layton, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Jacob Ith; Salem Hills High School; Salem, Utah
Monologue Third Place: Annaliese Eddington; Salem Hills High School; Salem, Utah

Larry Lott Acting Award: Brianna Irvine; Highland High School; Salt Lake City, Utah

Cambridge Division

Sweepstakes First Place (tie): Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah                     
Sweepstakes Second Place: Spanish Fork High School; Spanish Fork, Utah
Sweepstakes Third Place: Pioneer High School for the Performing Arts; American Fork, Utah

Ensemble First Place: Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Spanish Fork High School; Spanish Fork, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Desert Hills High School; St. George, Utah

Ray Jones Award and Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Harrison Clark, Jordan Evans, and Benjamin Stanford; Murray High School; Murray, Utah
Duo/Trio Second Place: Anna Nadjafinia, Anna Trick, and Caylee White; Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah
Duo/Trio Third Place: Tia Lee and Mitchell Young; Spanish Fork High School; Spanish Fork, Utah

Ray Jones Award and Monologue First Place: Mikala Gonzales; Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Brenden Anderson; Spanish Fork High School; Spanish Fork, Utah
Monologue Third Place: Zoe Clair; Pioneer High School for the Performing Arts; American Fork, Utah

Larry Lott Acting Award: Kaybri Wolf; Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah

Westminster Division

Sweepstakes First Place: Liahona Senior Preparatory Academy; Pleasant Grove, Utah
Sweepstakes Second Place (tie): Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy; Lindon, Utah; and North Sanpete High School; Mount Pleasant, Utah

Ensemble First Place: Rockwell Charter High School; Eagle Mountain, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy; Lindon, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Liahona Senior Preparatory Academy; Pleasant Grove, Utah

Ray Jones/Barbara Barrett Award and Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Stephen Hender and Andrew Heugly; Providence Hall High School; Herriman, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Kaitlyn Sciortino and Connor Vardakis; American Preparatory Academy; West Valley, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Brooklyn Henderson and Raelynn McLaughlin; American Leadership Academy; Spanish Fork, Utah    

Barbara Barrett Award and Monologue First Place: Eden Halverson; Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy; Lindon, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Kaylee Cassutt; American Leadership Academy; Spanish Fork, Utah
Monologue Third Place: Katie Rowley; Liahona Senior Preparatory Academy; Pleasant Grove, Utah

Larry Lott Acting Award: Aurianna Luker; Summit Academy High School; Bluffdale, Utah

Stratford Division

Sweepstakes First Place: American Fork Junior High School; American Fork, Utah
Sweepstakes Second Place (tie): Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy; Lindon, Utah; Liahona Junior Preparatory Academy; Pleasant Grove, Utah

Ensemble First Place: American Fork Junior High School; American Fork, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy; Lindon, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Rockwell Charter Junior High School; Eagle Mountain, Utah

Barbara Barrett Award and Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Eli Bennion, Bo Jacuelyn Chester, and Amara Davis; Liahona Junior Preparatory Academy; Pleasant Grove, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Laura Randall and Sydney Van Woerkom; American Fork Junior High School; American Fork, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Brian Bigler and Lillian Gibb; American Fork Junior High School; American Fork, Utah

Barbara Barrett Award and Monologue First Place: Hannah Bibler; Payson Junior High School; Payson, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Kaelynn Bybee; Liahona Junior Preparatory Academy; Pleasant Grove, Utah
Monologue Third Place (tie): Katherine Connors; Walden School of Liberal Arts; Provo, Utah; and Ciara Johnson; Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy; Lindon, Utah

Larry Lott Acting Award: Kaelynn Bybee; Liahona Junior Preparatory Academy; Pleasant Grove, Utah

Essex Division

Sweepstakes First Place: First Stage Theatre Academy; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Sweepstakes Second Place: Logan Youth Shakespeare; Logan, Utah
Sweepstakes Third Place: The Meadows School; Las Vegas, Nevada

Ensemble First Place: First Stage Theatre Academy; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Ensemble Second Place: Logan Youth Shakespeare; Logan, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Youth Theatre-University of Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah

Ray Jones Award and Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Maddie Mainwood and Megan Watson; First Stage Theatre Academy; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Jake Badovski, Madeline McNichols, and Gabriela Musickant; First Stage Theatre Academy; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Gaby Bernal and Ian Ferguson; Logan Youth Shakespeare; Logan, Utah

Ray Jones Award and Monologue First Place: Simran Deokule; The Bishop School; La Jolla, California
Monologue Second Place (tie): Nina Gray; Walden School of Liberal Arts; Provo, Utah; and Ellie Thayn; Monticello High School; Monticello, Utah

Larry Lott Acting Award: Eva Glenn Thimmes; Logan Youth Shakespeare; Logan, Utah

Dance/Choreography Competition

For the dance portion, students were able to compete in duo/trio or ensemble groups. In the duo/trio competition, two or three dancers presented a three- to six-minute interpretation of a Shakespeare play or sonnet. In the ensemble competition, a group of dancers from a school interpreted a three- to four-minute Shakespeare play or sonnet.

DANCE WINNERS

The Dance scholarships to Southern Utah University were awarded to Jaime Elen Tandiman of Riverton High School, Riverton, Utah; and Lauren Cheree Wightman of Salt Lake School of Performing Arts, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Buckingham Division

Ensemble First Place: Westlake High School; Saratoga Springs, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Lone Peak High School; Highland, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Jordan High School; Sandy, Utah

Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Rebecca Hawkes, Olivia Worten, and Elena Wright; Lone Peak High School; Highland, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Maysen Birkes, Tyree Newkirk, and Zach Parkinson; Westlake High School; Saratoga Springs, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Lily Shepherd and Caler Tregeagle; Orem High School; Orem, Utah

Oxford Division

Ensemble First Place: Alta High School; Sandy, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Salem Hills High School; Salem, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Provo High School; Provo, Utah

Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Britney Belcher, Malia Hansen, and Madison Park; Taylorsville High School; Taylorsville, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Makayla Christiansen and Tawna Shaw; Provo High School; Provo, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Dominique Cordon and Whitney Williams; Viewmont High School; Bountiful, Utah

Cambridge Division

Ensemble First Place: Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Lehi High School; Lehi, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Spanish Fork High School; Spanish Fork, Utah

Duo/Trio First Place: Akeyla Carter, Brynlee Fordham, and Hannah Justvig; Desert Hills High School; St. George, Utah
Duo/Trio Second Place: Kalli Peers and Alexa Wilcox; Park City High School, Park City, Utah
Duo/Trio Third Place: Christin Dennis, Emma Hansen, and Alana Stuffs; Salt Lake School of Performing Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah

Westminster Division

Ensemble First Place: Richfield High School; Richfield, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: American International School of Utah; Murray, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Paradigm High School; South Jordan, Utah

Duo/Trio First Place: Abby Bassaragh, Moriya Nelson, Abbie Simpson; American International School of Utah; Murray, Utah
Duo/Trio Second Place: Shay Helm and Katherine Smith; Paradigm High School; South Jordan, Utah
Duo/Trio Third Place: Jordan Gulledge and Cassidy Wiersdorf; Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy; Lindon, Utah

Stratford Division

Ensemble First Place: Vista Heights Middle School; Saratoga Springs, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Timberline Middle School; Alpine, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Vista School of Performing Arts; Ivins, Utah

Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Carolina Siddoway, Amanda Taylor, and Kelsey Tippets; Vista Heights Middle School, Saratoga Springs, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Broc Bennett, Emma Martin, and Gavin Skaggs; Spanish Fork Junior High School; Spanish Fork, Utah                    
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Sam Cecil, Georgia Johnson, and Katelyn Lawnson; Karl G. Maeser Preperatory Academy; Lindon, Utah

Essex Division

Ensemble First Place: Youth Theatre-University of Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Katherine Connors and Curtis Hammon; Walden School of Liberal Arts; Provo, Utah

Music Competition

The music competition encouraged students to explore and develop a relationship with the music of the Renaissance (music prior to 1650). Students were encouraged to utilize creative combinations of instruments, however no instrumentation was required. For the music competition, students were able to compete in Madrigals and Minstrels. Madrigals (a minimum of five people) presented six- to ten-minutes of Renaissance music. Minstrels (one to four people) presented three- to seven-minutes of Renaissance music.

MUSIC WINNERS

Madrigal Competition

First Place: Pine View High School; St. George, Utah
Second Place: Pleasant Grove High School; Pleasant Grove, Utah
Third Place: Canyon View High School; Canyon View, Utah

Minstrel Competition

First Place: Youth Theatre–University of Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah
Second Place: Davis High School; Kaysville, Utah
Third Place: Venture High School; Marriott-Slaterville, Utah

Technical Theatre Competition

The final competition was in the technical theatre area for students who work behind the scenes creating sound, lighting, props, scenery, and costumes. In the portfolio area, students were given the chance to have their technical and/or design portfolios evaluated by professionals in technical theatre. Technical theatre students were able to compete in Tech Olympics, with winners named in rigging, props, lighting, audio, costumes, set construction, stage management, and hair and makeup. Overall school winners were also named. The best portfolio and runner-up were also recognized.

TECH OLYMPICS WINNERS

Fastest Overall Times

Rigging First Place: Kate Zander; Riverton High School; Riverton, Utah
Props First Place: Andrew Nasson; Maple Mountain High School; Spanish Fork, Utah
Lighting First Place: TJ Bettolo; Davis High School; Kaysville, Utah
Sound First Place: Kade Bennett; American Leadership Academy; Spanish Fork, Utah
Costumes First Place: Brenna Dessormeau; Hurricane High School; Hurricane, Utah        
Set Construction First Place: Kaulin Allin; Herriman High School; Herriman, Utah
Stage Management First Place: London Lucus; Venture High School; Marriott-Slaterville, Utah
Hair and Makeup First Place: Kaylee Kunzman; Corner Canyon High School; Draper, Utah

Overall School Winners

First Place: Pleasant Grove High School; Pleasant Grove, Utah
Second Place: Davis High School; Kaysville, Utah
Third Place: Maple Mountain High School; Spanish Fork, Utah

Tech Portfolio Winners

Overall Winner and Recipient of a Scholarship from GTS: Chloe Cook; American Fork High School; American Fork, Utah

Runner up and Recipient of an SUU Scholarship: Arianna Fiandala; Perry High School; Gilbert, Arizona