Grinnell High School Speech earns six all-state honors

      The Musical Theater production of "Wicked" was one of six Grinnell High School speech groups to earn All-State Hours. Pictured are, from left: Thea Sherman, Jackson Hinkle, Lanie Kaup, Billy Lopatto, Maggie Kaup, Peyton Stensrud, Anna Schubert and Cameron Corey

By Kevin Hosbond
 
      Grinnell High School brought 19 groups to the state large group contest held at Cedar Rapids Washington High School on Saturday, Feb. 8. This was one of four contests held across the state as part of the Iowa High School Speech Association contest series. Out of the 19 entries entered, 15 received overall Division I ratings and four received overall Division II ratings. 
      Of the 19 entries, six groups were selected for All-State honors. Four of those groups performed at the All-State Festival at Iowa State University on Saturday, Feb. 22. The total number of students selected for All-State was 34–over half of the entire team.
All-State honors
      “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” directed by Jennie Flinspach, is a Readers Theatre nominated to perform at All-State. It features Trycer Arends, Eli Boyd, Forrest Behrens, Penelope Fennell, River Haenfler, Liam Lease, Lilly Madren, Charlie Nicklas, Owen Shepardson, Jonathan Solomon, and Ruby Zimsen-Campe.
    Flinspach’s Group Improv team of Frances Pedersen and Lucy Turley also earned All-State performance rights after their outstanding performance at state. 
      Cora Miller’s Solo Mime performance titled “A Fairy Tale” also received an All-State performance nomination. The piece was directed by Kevin Hosbond and written by the duo. 
      Also returning to the All-State Festival will be the Group Mime team with their performance of “The Wall,” a piece written and directed by Hosbond with the ensemble. 
       This group features returning Critic’s Choice recipients Forrest Behrens, Cora Miller, and Peyton Stevenson. Adding to the team is Jackson Hinkle, Lilly Madren, and Lucy Skouson. It should be noted that Cora Miller has made Grinnell High School history by being the first mime student to perform at All-State all four years of their high school career at GHS.
    Two Nonperforming All-State designations were awarded to Grinnell in Choral Reading and Musical Theatre. “Grow” is a choral piece written by senior Maggie Kaup and directed by Hosbond. It features Eli Boyd, Bailey Butler, Cameron Corey, Piper Donohoe, Cailyn Grabe, Maggie Kaup, Ketsia Kiphanzu, Evan Kite, Lucy Lindberg, Luke Ohlsen, Judith Perez-Valentin, Anna Schubert, Catherine Schubert, Smith Skouson, and Peyton Stevenson.
    The other nonperforming honor went to the Musical Theatre event “Wicked.” Directed by Hosbond with vocal assistance from Colton Ironside, this group features Cameron Corey, Jackson Hinkle, Lanie Kaup, Maggie Kaup, Billy Lopatto, Anna Schubert, Thea Sherman, and Peyton Stensrud.
Division 1 and 11 performances
       Grinnell’s Group Improv team of Slane McCue, Athen Schubert, and Owen Shepardson received a Division II, as did the TV News “WGWB” featuring Billy Lopatto, Mackenzie Kohl, Ty McIntyre, Jacob Raney, and Brennen Rasmussen. Also receiving Division II ratings were the Radio Broadcast “Neighborhood Watch” by Carter Kriegel, Micah Loomis, and Brennen Rasmussen and “The Davon Daquan Bennett News Broadcast” by Max Bartlett, Owen Benz, and Holden Smith.
     A stop motion film called “The Giant’s Bride,” developed in the stop motion animation course taught by Ms. Alicia Carradus, received a Division I. The film was created by Gabe Bahrenfuse and Dash Norris, with assistance from William Kelley-Chown, Piper Madren, and Jack Sulfridge. “Silent Chaos” by Sam Hatcher, Charlie Nicklas, Smith Skouson, and Peyton Stensrud, also received a Division I rating in the area of Short Film.   
     The Radio Broadcast “Cold Case Chills” by Belle Dewey, Gracie Kaufman, Slane McCue, and Kat Neville received an overall Division I at the contest, as did two Ensemble Acting presentations. Those included “A Tale of Two Spectators,” featuring Elisabeth Kelley-Chown and Cameron Thompson, and “Haiku,” featuring Mallorie Arlint, Lanie Kaup, and Lucy Turley. The scenes were directed by Flinspach and Hosbond respectively. 
      The Group Improvisation performance by Mallorie Arlint and Ketsia Kiphanzu earned an overall Division I at the contest. So too did the One-Act Play “Voices,” directed by Flinspach, and featuring Forrest Behrens, Aria Burrell, Tayla Fabor, Dash Norris, Frances Pedersen, Haylee Schwarck, Lucy Skouson, Jonathan Solomon, Cameron Thompson, and Alex Vogt.
     In the area of Musical Theatre, the team of “The Fantasticks,” featuring Aaron Blanchard and Catherine Schubert, and “Six” featuring Elisabeth Kelley-Chown, Lucy Lindberg, Sloane McDonough, Athen Schubert, Alex Vogt, and Ruby Zimsen-Campe, both earned overall Division I ratings. They were directed by Hosbond and Flinspach respectively, with music assistance by Ironside.

      Cora Miller’s Solo Mime performance titled “A Fairy Tale” also received an All-State performance nomination.

        “Grow” is a choral piece written by senior Maggie Kaup and directed by Kevin Hosbond also received All-State Honors. Pictured are, from left, front row: Evans Kite. Middle row: Peyton Stevenson, Catherine Schubert, Judith Perez-Valentin, Piper Donohoe, Cailyn Grabe, Ketsia Kiphanzu, Anna Schube. Back row: Smith Skouson, Cameron Corey, Maggie Kaup, Bailey Butler, Eli Boyd, Lucy Lindberg and Luke Ohlsen.

​      Jennie Flinspach’s Group Improv team of Frances Pedersen and Lucy Turley also earned All-State performance rights after their outstanding performance at state. 

       “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” directed by Jennie Flinspach, is a Readers Theatre nominated to perform at All-State. Pictured are: Trycer Arends, Eli Boyd, Lilly Madren, Charlie Nicklas, Jonathan Sololmon, River Haenfler, Forrest Behrens, Owen Shepardson, Ruby Zimsen-Campe, Liam Lease, and Penelope Fennell.

       Also returning to the All-State Festival will be the Group Mime team with their performance of “The Wall,” a piece written and directed by Kevin Hosbond with the ensemble. This group features returning Critic’s Choice recipients Forrest Behrens, Cora Miller, and Peyton Stevenson. Adding to the team is Jackson Hinkle, Lilly Madren and Lucy Skouson.