On Feb. 1, the MHS Thespian Troupe will attend an annual festival held by the International Thespian Society.  According to English teacher Kelly Haut, the event can be equated to that of a sports team going to state.
“It’s basically like regional or state competitions,” Haut said.

The festival will be held in Medford this year. Last year, nearly 10 MHS students were qualified to compete on a nationwide level.

“I had five qualify for state and eight people qualify for nationals, I believe,” Haut said.

Senior Carlee Christoferson, who competed in last year’s competition along with senior Krista Edwards in a duet,  said watching drama students from other schools contend for a top spot payed off in the long run.

“It was rewarding to see other people compete so you could learn from them,” Christoferson said.

Edwards said the event could be nerve-racking at times, but was enjoyable because the group was able to bond.

“It was fun. It was stressful like making sure you have everything memorized,” Edwards said. “It was inspirational to see all the people at different levels of experience and watch everybody grow as a group. We jumped and screamed [when fellow Marshfield performers were onstage]. It was ridiculus.”

According to Haut, the performers, who will be judged on a rubric through three averaged rounds, have an ample chance to do well in the competition. Haut said how well each performer does also depends on the competition itself.

“It always depends on what the competition is,” Haut said. “There’s always huge amounts of potential to do really well.”

Christoferson said she has heard great things about last year’s performers, and she believes this year’s group will have improvements upon themselves while bonding together.

“There’s lots of new people so I’m sure we’ll have improvement and more growing experiences,” Christoferson said.

Senior Christian Chase, who also performed in last year’s festival, said he looks forward to his piece because his character is unusual for him to play.

“I’m really excited for my duo,” Chase said. “I get to play a character I wouldn’t normally play. I think everybody will like it.”

Chase also said he is impressed with all the newcomer’s abilities, and he is ready to make friends with them.

“I’m hoping on this trip we’ll get to know each other,” Chase said.

Daylin Bibey, a senior, said even though this is his first time performing at the annual festival, he is not nervous.

“I’m not actually [nervous] because of being in the play I was,” Bibey said. “I’m not as nervous as I would have been.”

Bibey and fellow senior Julian von Salzen will be performing a piece from the play “The Odd Couple.” Bibey said since he and von Salzen are good friends, they will do well in the competition.

“I feel like the connection we have now will reflect that as Oscar and Felix [their characters in the duo],” Bibey said.

According to sophomore CeAndra Nelson, a first time competitor, the people who attended last year’s competition looked out for the newcomers, and she believes everybody will do well this year.

“They’re always there to tell us how it works,” Nelson said. “We have a pretty talented group of kids.”