Montezuma Speech and Drama hosts districts, sends four teams to state

      The Montezuma Speech and Drama One Act Play group performed “The Wild Bunch Women: A Memory Play,” by Nelly E. Cuellar-Garcia. The group received I ratings at districts on Jan. 22 and straight 1s at state competition on Saturday, Feb. 5. Submitted photo

Submitted by Kelly Kaup
 
      Saturday, Jan. 22 was an exciting day at Montezuma High School as the district was able to once again host more than 20 schools for District Large Group Speech competition. 
      Montezuma had seven teams perform at districts with four moving on to state. 
    The One Act Play performed “The Wild Bunch Women: A Memory Play,” by Nelly E. Cuellar-Garcia. The group's hard work paid off and they received two I ratings, which advanced them to the state level on Saturday, Feb. 5 at Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School.
    Coaches Liz Van Gorp and Dianne Singleton worked together to direct this fun western play about five cowgirls who get themselves in a bit of trouble with the outlaw Jesse James and his gang of bandits.
     “The play has all the elements of entertainment - love and loss, humor and despair,” noted speech coaches Van Gorp and Singleton. “It's a fun experience for both actors and audience.”
    The following students participated in the One Act Play performance at districts: Maddy Fleming, Lydia Singleton, Faith Ferry, Lily Shoemaker, Laila Kercheval, Kaya Latcham, Linnea Gusic, Camryn Brennen, Aja Kapayou, Kailey Shaffer, Haley Van Der Hart and Kaleah Shoemaker. 
     Kelly Kaup had the privilege of coaching Musical Theater and Improv. The upperclassmen musical theater group made up of Faith Ferry, Linnea Gusic, Kaya Latcham, Isabella Roorda, Lydia Singleton and Justine Theis is state bound after a fun performance from “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” 
    Selections from “Children of Eden” showcased vocals and dance from upperclassmen Camryn Brennan, Maddy Fleming, Martavious Knox, Tia Shaffer, Kaleah Shoemaker, Lily Shoemaker and Madison VanZee.
Hayley Burnett, Addyson Probasco, Shiressa Wettering, Tayler Wickham gave their best performance yet of snippets from “West Side Story” as a Freshmen group.
    Three improv teams caused quite a bit of laughter as they made up five-minute scenes on the spot. Upperclassmen team Eli Bustamante, Laila Kercheval,  Peter Roberts and Justine Theis made up a hilarious scene about teens teaching seniors how to use Twitter. Two Freshmen teams charmed judges with their wit and quick minds to move on to state. The first made up of Leslie Lopez, Addyson Probasco and Taylor Wilcox. The second, Emily Jo James, Loki Harris and Tayler Wickham.