Two Pekin, Two English Valleys, Five Tri-County and Four Keota Acts Move on to State Large Group Speech Contest

TIFFIN – A Large Group Speech District contest was held at Cleer Creek Amana High School on Jan. 25, giving local students a chance to compete in Musical Theater, Group Improv, Short Film, Choral Reading, Reader’s Theater and more. Many teams received I ratings from judges, meaning they will move on to the state competition at Cedar Rapids Washington on Feb. 8.

For example, the Tri-County Group Improv team, consisting of Michael Verploeg, Nathan McDonald, Drayvon Dennis, Kevin Smith, Jayden Smith, received a I rating after performing a humorous take on the prompt “trapped in an escape room,” which ended with McDonald’s teammates picking him up and using him as a battering ram against the imaginary door. “I could have been dumber...Personally, I actually really like the physical interaction of the whole thing. I'm pretty light, so it comes in useful,” said McDonald.

“I just like not having a script,” said Verploeg.

“I'm not the greatest at memory, so being able to come up with something on the spot’s a lot better,” said Jayden Smith.

Daige Sabin and Kaylynne Hoylman of English Valleys moved onto state with their Musical Theater performance of “Say My Name” from the musical “Beetlejuice.” “Personally, I have a lot of history with this, because my sister kind of introduced me to theater in general with this song, and it's also just a really fun, silly musical,” said Sabin, who sang the titular Beetlejuice’s part.

“That's what I was wanting too, was just a fun song,” said Hoylman, who sang Lydia’s part.

14 different Keota Students read together in “Crazy Game of Poker,” a Choral Reading about a man playing poker with the devil for his soul, complete with elaborate steampunk/western costumes. “Putting this production together, it's just been a pretty fun process...We're all pretty good buddies, it just brings all of us together,” said Isaac Striegel, who played the devil. Other students participating in the Choral Reading include Jackson Vittetoe, Owen Morris, Jake Morris, Chase Haifley, Gavin Sieren, Luke Moeller, Kennedy Jackson, Emily Conger, Grace Conger, Kimmy Clarahan, Elyse Lyle, Olivia Lyle and Will Klein.

The Tri-County Reader’s Theater team, consisting of Alyssa Hadsell, Nazareth Davis, Drayvon Dennis, Grace Lindley and Imara Colbert, earned a I for their performance of  “Mick Harte was Here,” a Reader’s Theater about a teenage school girl mourning the death of her brother, who is killed while riding his bike. “It’s just like a fun activity and I get to have fun with my friends, and also participate in something that I’m passionate in,” said Hadsell.

“I didn’t necessarily want to do it at first, but Mr. Hrasky came up to me personally and he was like, ‘I really think you should do this part,’ and it really just fit with me,” said Davis, who played the titular character. “It was my kind of expression, my kind of attitude, and it has my friends in it.”

“I’ve been working to combat anxiety and stage fright, so I thought this would be a good step to kind of getting rid of them,” said Lindley.

“I also just like the emotion in it,” said Hadsell. “I honestly cried the first time that we read through it. A lot of people connect with it because a lot of people have their own sons, or a lot of people have kids that ride bikes.”

“I enjoy that it’s deeper. Because a lot of them go for comedies and try to be funny,” said Dennis.

English Valleys freshmen Ambryn Hoylman, McKenna Rugg, Olivia Debevec and Peyten Conrad created “82.4 HAWK,” a Radio Broadcast about University of Iowa Women’s Basketball and Volleyball, earning a I rating. “We thought it was the strongest thing we could compete in, and it was a great way to communicate together...Sports is like a big part of our lives, so it's something we know,” said Debevec.

“We're all athletes,” added Rugg.

Keota students Addison Purkeypile and Kaylee Kindred performed Group Improv together, receiving a I. “I think it's pretty fun. We don't have a script to go off of, we get to just try and make our own script as we go along. So we kind of get to be ourselves, in a way,” said Purkeypile.

Other acts moving on to state include Pekin student Ayla Banes’s Solo Mime act “On Safari”; the Pekin Improv team consisting of Will Daniels, Anna Hadley, Bo Latcham and Hayden Miller; Tri-County Short Film “The Monster Under the Bed,” which starred and was written by Aubrey Zittergruen, Aaliyah Cooper, Emery Hall, Ayla Hall and Reagan Molyneux; the Tri-County Musical Theater performance; Tri-County Choral Reading “The Golden Apple”; Keota One Act Play “Trailer Park Broadcasting,” which featured Ava Greiner, Kimberly Clarahan, Lainey Swanson, Issi Chalupa, Jayla Redlinger, Grace Conger.”; and Keota Choral Reading “Anna and August,” which starred Gavin Sieren, Ava Greiner, Jake Morris, Jackson Vittetoe, Luke Moeller, Brynn Conrad Lainey Swanson and Chase Haifley,

Other acts performed by local students were less successful, walking away with II ratings. For example, the Pekin Short Film “The Stop Watch,” directed by Conor Cloyd and starring Will Daniels, Hayden Miller and Ayla Banes, received a II. “It was kinda a last minute scramble with some parts of it, but I think it was a good idea,” said Daniels about the short film, which featured a pair of scientists fighting over a stop watch that can be used to teleport.

“I think we did the bulk of the work in three days,” said Cloyd.

“We're definitely sci-fi fans. We like action, we like chase scenes, random technology. It's just a fun, creative project.”

The sole Sigourney act at Cleer Creek Amana, a Reader’s Theater about the WWI Christmas Truce, also received a II. It starred Tierney Greiner. Christopher McLennan. Chloe Martin and Devyn Smallwood. “I like the historical aspect,” said Martin.

“I like playing the part and knowing you're going into war, but then you're also feeling like you can't do anything about it. You have to keep battling,” said Griener.

“I like that the two opposing sides come together for a holiday,” said McLennan.

“I love that you can see the differences but also the similarities of both and how they are feeling the same way, but they have to be against each other,” said Smallwood

Other acts receiving II ratings include the Pekin Musical Theater performance of “Some Things are Meant to Be” from “Little Women”; the Pekin Group Improv Team featuring Gabe Gentry, Liam Guise, Sam Hall, Jaxon Mefford and Landon York; English Valleys Short Film “From the Outside,” which starred Kaylee Frazier. Daige Sabin, Tyler Wiseman and Phoenix Sorden; English Valleys Short Film Coping with Chaos; English Valleys Radio Broadcast “24.0 - Jingle News”; English Valleys Radio Broadcast “142.06”; Keota Ensemble Acting performance “Regina Fletcher Wins the Science Fair,” which starred Marlee Greiner, Cameron Hasley and Ellie Greiner; and the Keota Group Improv team consisting of Emily Mahan, Brynn Conrad and Reece Conrad.