Six Grinnell High School speech groups earn All-State honors

      The GHS Musical Theatre production of "How to Succeed..." was one of two groups in that class to bring home Division 1 ratings and all-state honors. The production featured Elisabeth Kelley-Chown, Mackenzie Kohl, Anna Schubert, Catherine Schubert, Peyton Stensrud, and Peyton Stevenson, and was directed by Hosbond and Flinspach with Gookin assisting. “Sweeney Todd” featuring Joel Dressler and Maggie Kaup and was was the musical theatre production to earn all-state honors.

 ​     Grinnell High School brought 13 groups to the State Large Group Speech Contest held at Cedar Rapids Washington High School on Saturday, Feb. 4. This was one of four contests held across the state as part of the Iowa High School Speech Association contest series. All 13 Grinnell entries were awarded overall Division I ratings. 
      Of the 13 entries, six groups were selected for All-State honors and will perform at the All-State Festival to be held at Iowa State University on Saturday, Feb. 18. (All groups also received overall Division I ratings at the State contest.) Of significant note is that 30 out of the 60 student participants on the team this year were bestowed All-State honors, amounting to exactly one half of the team.
      For the sixth year in a row Choral Reading received an All-State nomination. “Lift,” written and directed by Kevin Hosbond, features Chloe Alger, Sarah Ashing, Emily Cooper, Maddie Davis, Joel Dressler, Kiran Elfenbein, Mary Jacobson, Kiran Jones, Maggie Kaup, Britt Kifer, Ketsia Kiphanzu, Erin Nicklas, Judith Perez-Valentin, Ezra Praitis Hill, and Peter Simpson.
     The Readers Theatre “The End of the Road,” directed by Jennie Flinspach, will also perform at All-State. It features Claire Behrens, Tiernan Boggs, Tobias Crandall, Roman Mackenzie, Reece Madren, Charlie Nicklas, Natalie Nieuwsma, Catherine Schubert, Cameron Thompson, and Jeslyn Voogd. 
    Representing GHS at All-State in the area of Group Mime is the cast of “The Heist” which features Chloe Alger, Maddie Davis, Kiran Elfenbein, Kalli Hart, Olivia Mick, and Cora Miller. In the area of Solo Mime All-State honors were bestowed upon performers Cora Miller for “3017: An Escape Tale” and Kalli Hart for “My Very First Dragon.” All pieces were written and directed by Hosbond with the ensemble. 
    Finally, in the area of Musical Theatre, Will Dahlby Albright, Olivia Mick, and Brody Petig will perform “Young Frankenstein” at the All-State Festival. This piece was directed by Hosbond with assistance from Gookin. 
     In the  digital category of Short Film, both entries received overall Division I ratings at the state contest. The films were “Intus et Extra” by Kaia Chang Roper, Ezra Praitis Hill, Ava Valencic, and “A Petal in Time” by Ani Ford, Janae Hall, Livie Herbers, Grace Kiphanzu, Chris MacArtney, and Aaron Shinefield. Ms. Flinspach advised both groups. 
     Two Group Improvisation teams directed by Flinspach also received overall Division I ratings. The team “Tip of the Iceberg” features Will Dahlby Albright, Reece Madren, and Owen Shepardson, and “The Fairy Fleet” features Emma Lewis, Roman Mackenzie, and Jeslyn Voogd. 
     The Ensemble Acting scene “Romantic Comedy,” directed by Flinspach and featuring Tiernan Boggs and Rome Tews, also earned a Division I rating at the state contest.
     Two other Musical Theatre groups also received Division I ratings. “Sweeney Todd” featured Joel Dressler and Maggie Kaup and was directed by Hosbond with musical direction by Gookin. “How to Succeed…” featured Elisabeth Kelley-Chown, Mackenzie Kohl, Anna Schubert, Catherine Schubert, Peyton Stensrud, and Peyton Stevenson, and was directed by Hosbond and Flinspach with Gookin assisting. 
     Students performed locally on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Large Group Speech Showcase event in the GHS Auditorium and choir room. The showcase featured all entries registered this season.

     In the area of Solo Mime All-State honors were bestowed upon performers Cora Miller for “3017: An Escape Tale” and Kalli Hart for “My Very First Dragon.” All pieces were written and directed by Kevin Hosbond with the ensemble. ​

      In the area of Solo Mime All-State honors were bestowed upon Kalli Hart for “My Very First Dragon" and Cora Miller for “3017: An Escape Tale.” All pieces were written and directed by Kevin Hosbond with the ensemble. ​