Grinnell High School Speech and Drama earns 13 Division 1 ratings, all advancing to state

​       Members of the GHS Group Mime include, from left: River Haenfler, Kapria Derby, Mallorie Arlint, Lucy Skouson, Lucy Lindberg and Penelope Fennell. The Group Mime received a Division 1 rating at Districts and advanced to State on Saturday, Feb. 3.

        Grinnell High School registered 61 students across 23 entries for its first District Large Group speech contest held at Pella High School on Saturday, Jan. 20. This was the first level of competition as part of the Iowa High School Speech Association’s collection of contests held across the state. Grinnell fielded a varsity team of 13 entries, all of which received a Division I rating advancing them to the State Large Group contest at Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf on Saturday, Feb, 3. The 9th grade team sent nine entries, seven of which received a Division I rating, advancing them to State.
         Assisting head coach Kevin Hosbond is fellow English teacher Jennie Flinspach. Also assisting is volunteer coach Michael Gookin who helps with music direction.
       The 9th grade team entered one Radio Broadcast this year. The entry by Brennen Rasmussen and Jacob Raney received a Division II rating, as did the Group Improv team of Jonathan Solomon and Ty McIntyre. Two other improv teams starring Mallorie Arlint, Frances Pedersen, and Penelope Fennell, Slane McCue, and Lucy Skouson both received Division I ratings. Flinspach advises the improv teams.
        In the category of Musical Theatre, “A Year with Frog and Toad”, directed by Flinspach, received a Division I rating and featured Aaron Blanchard, Kapria Derby, William Kelley-Chown, Lucy Lindberg, and Frances Pedersen. Also receiving a Division I was the Group Mime “Cirque du Slay” featuring Mallorie Arlint, Kapria Derby, Penelope Fennell, River Haenfler, Lucy Lindberg, and Lucy Skouson. Hosbond oversees the mime teams at GHS.
      The 9th grade team also entered three Short Films as part of the new stop-motion animation course taught at GHS by Ms. Alicia Carradus. “The Air Raid” by Gabe Bahrenfuse, “Something Sketchy” by Liam Han, and “The Broken Sword” by Dash Norris all received Division I ratings.
     The varsity team presented one Short Film at the contest. “Caedes”, featuring Kaia Chang Roper, Moby Ostby, and Ava Valencic, received a Division I rating. In the digital category of Radio Broadcasting, Billy Lopatto and Myles Manley received a Division I rating for their entry “KGFR.”
     Three Group Improvisation teams were also entered this year. The three teams consisting of Cameron Corey, Ian Hammond, and Ketsia Kiphanzu; Will Dahlby Albright, Roman Mackenzie, and Jeslyn Voogd; and Owen Shepardson and Nathan Vander Leest received Division I ratings.
      One Ensemble Acting scene was entered this season. “Angels in America”, featuring Natalie Nieuwsma and Cameron Thompson, earned a Division I rating.
      GHS entered a Readers Theatre titled “Ray and Milo” and directed by Flinspach, which earned a Division I rating. It features Tobias Crandall, Roman Mackenzie, Reece Madren, Charlie Nicklas, Moby Ostby, Anna Schubert, Peyton Stensrud, and Jeslyn Voogd.
     GHS also entered a Choral Reading written and directed by Hosbond titled “Look.” It features Chloe Alger, Eli Boyd, Cameron Corey, Joel Dressler, Kiran Elfenbein, Mary Jacobson, Maggie Kaup, Ketsia Kiphanzu, Judith Perez-Valentin, Anna Schubert, Catherine Schubert, Smith Skouson, and Peyton Stevenson, and also received a Division I rating.
     Two Musical Theatre groups were entered this season. All received Division I ratings. The team of “Sunday in the Park with George” features Joel Dressler and Maggie Kaup. “Urinetown” features Will Dahlby Albright, Ian Durr, Elisabeth Kelley-Chown, Billy Lopatto, Brody Petig, Catherine Schubert, Thea Sherman, and Peyton Stensrud. Both teams were directed by Hosbond with musical direction by GHS Choir teacher Michael Gookin.
GHS also entered a One-Act Play this season, presenting “Reflex Action,” which was directed by Flinspach. The cast and crew includes Forrest Behrens, Diane Boyd, Eli Boyd, Tobias Crandall, Elisabeth Kelley-Chown, Mackenzie Kohl, Reece Madren, Myles Manley, Ellie Mintle, Charlie Nicklas, Natalie Nieuwsma, Owen Shepardson, Cameron Thompson, and Lucy Turley. The performance earned an overall Division I rating.
     And finally, in the area of mime, the team entered one Group Mime performance and one Solo Mime; all received Division I ratings. “The Spider-Woman” features Chloe Alger, Sarah Ashing, Forrest Behrens, Kiran Elfenbein, Cora Miller, and Peyton Stevenson. Alger, Elfenbein, and Miller are returning from last year’s Critic’s Choice Award mime “The Heist.” In the area of Solo Mime, Cora Miller presented “The Bunny”, a story inspired by her own pet. All pieces were written and directed by Hosbond with the ensemble.
    Division I-rated performances will perform again on Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Large Group Speech State Contest at Pleasant Valley High School in Benttendorf. The Speech Showcase will feature all performances at the GHS Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m.

        The GHS Musical Theatre duo is Joel Dressler and Maggie Kaup.

       Kiran Elfenbein poses with Kevin Hosbond. Kiran is serving on the RISE program--a student ambassador leadership group that functions to improve awareness, communication, and service with the IHSSA.