ITS Festival News and Notes #1 -college auditions

One of the most significant benefits our CNMI students get from attending the International Thespian Festival is the chance to audition for colleges. Unlike students who live in the mainland, our students are so far away that they do not have this opportunity except at the ITS Festival.

Here is this year's list of colleges auditioning at the 2009 ITS Festival, with their links. Check out some of these, and see where you want to go next!

*The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, AMDA, New York, New York
*The University of the Arts, UARTS, Philadelphia
*Chicago College of Performing Arts, CCPA, Chicago
*University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, UC-CCM
*Cornell College, Cornell, Mount Vernon, Iowa
*DePaul University, DePaul, Chicago
*University of Evansville, UE, Evansville, Indiana
*Florida International University, FIU theatre & dance , Miami, Florida

Floria International University-Lakewood housing

*Fontbonne Univeristy, Fontbonne, St. Louis, Missouri
*Gustavus Adolphus College, Gustavus, St. Peter, Minnesota
*The Hartt School, University of Harford, UH, West Hartford, Connecticut
*The University of Houston, UH, Houston, TX
*Long Island University, LIU, Brookville, New York
*Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola, New Orleans, LA
*Marquette University, Marquette, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
*Messiah College, MC, Grantham, Pennsylvania
*University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater,
UM-Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
*University of Nebraska-Lincoln, UNL
*Nebraska Wesleyan University, NWU, Lincoln, Nebraska
*The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, NYCDA, New York, New York
*The New York Film Academy, NYFA, New York, NY
*University of Northern Colorado, UNC, Greeley
*Ohio Northern University, ONU, Ada, Ohio
*University of Oklahoma, OU-drama, Norman
*University of Oklahoma, OU-musical theatre, Norman
*Otterbein College, Otterbein, Westerville, Ohio

Otterbein University campus

*Rockford College, Rockford, Rockford, Illinois
*Rowan University, RU, Glassboro, New Jersey
*Saint Louis University, SLU, St. Louis

St. Louis University-Library

*Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, St. Mary's, Winona
*Savannah College of Art and Design, SCAD, Savannah, Georgia
*University of Southern California, USC, Los Angeles
*Southern Methodist University Meadows School of the Arts, SMU, Dallas, Texas
*University of South Dakata, USD, Vermillion
Southwestern College, SC, Winfield, Kansas
*Texas Christian University, TCU, Fort Worth
*Viterbo University, Viterbo, La Crosse, Wisconsin
*Wake Forest University, WFU, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
*Webster University, Webster, St. Louis, MO
*Western Michigan University, WMU, Kalamazoo, Michigan
*William Woods University, William Woods, Fulton, Missouri
*University of Wyoming, UWyoming, Laramie
*Youngstown State University, YSU, Ohio

It's very "in" to use You Tube to give a close-up look at life on campus. So enjoy these looks!

A Very Busy Time

It seems to me that every time during the school year is a very busy time, but the end of the school year seems to be the busiest!

Our competition students are getting ready for the national events in the U.S., and that means forms to complete, travel arrangements to detail, and of course rehearsals for the individual competition pieces.

As if all of that weren't enough, the Thespians also stage two one-act plays--one presented by the Junior Thespians, and one by the high school Thespians.

This year's one-acts will take us back in time to the middle-ages/early Renaissance period in Spain.

The Junior Thespians present THE MAGIC OF SALAMANCA, based on the Cervantes play, "The Cave of Salamanca." You can see an original 1915 costume design from the Russian Vesvlod Meyehold Studio here. It is being directed by SSHS freshman Anna Rose Deleon Guerrero, and will feature the talents of Reece Brown, Royze Banados, Zalika Joyner, Ray Mark Denora, Dayanara Flores, and Tony Bai. The play is an adaptation of the maxim "when the cat's away, the mice will play."

The high school Thespians will produce another play, THE MARVELOUS PLAYBILL, also set in Spain. It is being directed by MHS junior Matt Wheat, and features the usual suspects (Tommy Baik, Moon Hsu Lee, Adelayah Mojica, Miki Nadia and Akiko Dela Cruz, Liezel Tiples, Aisha Joyner, Dowen Jocson, Tori Brown, etc.)! It contains a "play within a play" and will remind the viewers of the folk-tale, "The Emperor Has No Clothes."

Also there will be a third play, recently added, called THE COURTERS, in the same style. Student actors in this one include Roland Arii, Dennis Chen, Ruthie Quiatchon, Chantee, and others.

These one-acts introduce a style that draws on Commedia dell'Arte.


With stock characters and specific costumes, the commedia dell'arte gave room for improvisation, character development and physical stunts on stage that introduced professional acting to Europe. It also enlivened theatre to attract large audiences.

Commedia dell'Arte is still an active force in theatre today. We recently saw a 20th century American version of Commedia dell'Arte style here in Saipan in THE FANTASTICKS, produced by Friends of the Arts. If you want to research, there is a lot of information available online.

Our Thespians productions will no doubt be enjoyable and help our students practice more theatre techniques. And then they'll take these one-act plays to the ITS Festival at Lincoln, Nebraska, where the high school Thespians will perform in the CHAPTER SELECT Showcase, and the junior thespians will stage their one-act in the Freestyle arena.

NMPASI Essay Contest and Fun Fair

FAMILY FUN FAIR AND AWARENESS DAY
When: May 2, 2009
Time: 8 a.m. - 12 noon
Where: Minachom Atdau, Susupe, Saipan

ESSAY CONTEST
MY STORY: WHAT GOOD MENTAL HEALTH MEANS TO ME AND THREE THINGS I DO FOR MYSELF TO FEEL BETTER WHEN I FEEL UNHAPPY

Essay contest is open everyone in the Commonwealth. Entries must be less than two (2) pages in length and must be submitted to the office of the Northern Marianas Protection & Advocacy Systems, Inc. (NMPASI), on Middle Road, Gualo Rai, Saipan, on or before 4 p.m. on April 30, 2009.

Entries may be delivered to the NMPASI office or faxed to 235-7275 or emailed to jeanneesq@yahoo.com.

Winners will be announced on May 2, 2009, at the Family Fun Fair and Awareness Day.

Prizes will be awarded to winners in the following categories:
Category 1: Ages 6-12
Category 2: Ages 13-15
Category 3: Ages 16-18
Category 4: Adults over 18 years

For more information, contact Kaye Christian at 288-5293 or Jeanne Rayphand at 235-7273.

My Fair Lady

Friends of the Arts is staging My Fair Lady.


I'm helping out with costumes. (You can see some of my renderings at my personal blog, Saipanwriter). If any one wants to help with costumes, and especially help the actors or actresses get dressed during performances, please let me know. (You can respond in the comments section here, if you want).

But whatever, I encourage you to come and see the performance!

Middle School Mock Trial

The middle school Mock Trial competition is set for this Saturday, 4/18/2009 from 9 AM to noon at the Federal District Court (Horiguchi Bldg.).

This is a rollicking good time. Unlike the high school competition, which is very competitive and full of high emotions, this is all about pre-teens standing up in court, speaking, acting their parts, and demonstrating what they've learned. Everyone wins; there is no "judging" and no moving on to the next round.

If you've never seen this, I encourage you to go. And if you have, you don't need encouragement. You already know how good it is.

Auditions!

Each Spring, the TWPI presents a night of one-act plays. This year, the high school thespians will present one and the junior thespians will present another.

And then the TWPI will take these two one-act plays to Festival. This year at Nebraska ITS Festival, the high school thespians will present at the Chapter-Select Showcase and the junior thespians at Freestyle.

Auditions are Saturday, April 18, 2009 from 1 to 5 PM at room 101 D, MHS.

The names of this year's one-act plays are highly secret; only a few of the most notorious Thespians have been given clues as to the identity of these productions. So you'll need to come to the auditions if you want to be part of the cool, in-the-know people!

More Photos-NJFL and Thespians

All photos courtesy of Hilda Joyner