Student Performers Ready for Showcase

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Category: News

Created on Friday, 21 February 2025 16:14

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By SHANNON HAUGLAND

Sentinel Staff Writer

    Sitkans on Monday will have the chance to watch a comic detective scene, hear an argument in favor of year-round schooling, and listen to the complete works of Shakespeare in 12 minutes.

    It’s all part of the annual showcase performance by the Sitka High drama, debate forensics team.

Starting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Performing Arts Center, students will present pieces they’ll perform for judging next week at the state DDF tournament in Anchorage.

Members of the Sitka High drama, debate and forensics team, from left, Aiden LaFriniere, Reagean Wingard and Olivia Skan perform a readers theater piece “The Complete Works of William Shakepeare (Abridged)” in a command performance at last month’s regional DDF championships, at the Performing Arts Center. The three will perform in various pieces at Monday’s DDF showcase. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

    The Duo Interpretation piece by Francis Myers and Aiden LaFriniere is called “The Black Fedora.” In the Oratory category, Angela Bahna will speak about year-round schooling. In Readers Theater, Reagean Wingard, Olivia Skan, and Francis Myers willl perform “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).”

The students have been competing with these pieces at monthly DDF meets throughout Southeast Alaska since the fall. Some of these have already taken first prize in the regional meet last month in Sitka.

    The Monday night show “is a great chance for families and friends in the community to see the broad range of what DDF entails,” said Amy Ainslie, who along with Christian Litten coaches the Sitka High team. “It’s also a great performance opportunity for the students before they compete at state,” Ainslie said.

    The state meet in Anchorage will start Thursday, Feb. 27, and wind up Saturday, March 1, with final performances at the East Anchorage High School auditorium.

    The Sitka High team is always a powerhouse at the state meet, winning titles in the Division II category for the past eight years.

At state, competition in individual categories is open to all, regardless of division or school size. Awards are given out for each event, and competitors earn points for their teams. The points are tallied for team awards for Division I (large schools) and Division II (smaller schools).

    Sitka High took home all sweepstakes awards at the regional championships this year. Last year the Wolves captured top team awards at state in all categories except drama, where they took second.

    At the showcase, all but one of the kids who are competing at state will perform at least one of their entries. It will be a good representation of what the judges will see next weekend, with something for everyone to enjoy, the coaches said.

    For example, Sarah Todd in her Informative speech will debunk “flat earth theory” and discuss its unexpected rise in popular thinking; Aiden LaFriniere in his solo piece “World’s Greatest” will perform with a mix of humor and emotion; and Naomi Capp and Lazaria Kubacki will present their duo interpretation piece about puberty, from the popular TV show “Big Mouth.”

    Litten is in his ninth year of coaching, and Ainslie is in her seventh. During their student years at Sitka High both were on Sitka High’s DDF teams. Ainslie and Litten said the community has always been so supportive of the team, and provides positive feedback after the showcase.

    “People are always really impressed with the range of what we do in DDF, and they are taken by how strong and poised these high school performers are,” Ainslie said.

    A few pieces that are strong contenders at state will not be seen on stage Monday, as events such as debate, improvised duet acting, extemporaneous speaking and extemporaneous commentary, don’t lend themselves to the showcase format.

    The showcase is free, but donations for the state tournament are always welcome. The program is usually about an hour and a half long.

    Mt. Edgecumbe High School held its showcase night Thursday, and will take a team to state.