On December 3, 2013 at 6 PM, the Coral Gables thespians performed at the annual Individual Event’s (IE) showcase. I.E.  is a regional competition that consists of individual events that actors can compete in, which include both technical and performances, in order to qualify for states.  The showcase gave the students the opportunity to prepare for their following competitions, to showcase what they competed in, and give their friends and families the opportunity to see them work their skills on the stage. On December 7th, the actors competed in districts at Felix Valera Senior High and previously at Braddock Senior High on November 23rd, and brought home eight superiors and eight excellents.

“The showcase turned out to be a huge success. Everyone was on the ball, organized and did everything accordingly. Each performance had such a great energy; it was great,” senior and President of Thespians and Gables Players, Jeselle Ballesteros said.

Prior to the showcase, Troupe 0476, the prestigious acting group, competed in districts on November 23rd at Braddock Senior High. The group also completed on December 7th, by then, many of the members qualified for Florida Thespians. Florida Thespians is one of the most revered state theater competitions in the nation. There are many workshops given by renowned professionals in the theater, television, and film industries as well.

Students who participated in the showcase spent months prior to the show preparing for their performances and for the competition. The students were required to go through a rigorous audition process prior to being selected for the competition.

“The audition process is stressful but the competition is a great experience. It shows you your true potential,” senior Alex Maza said.

Troupe 0476 were able to clean out the competition on November 23rd and December 7th. Arriving early each day to complete a loud warm up, they took the day on full charge and wiped off the competition. Creating magic with no props, all pantomimes took straight superiors as well as monologues. The group performed a musical number entitled “Positive” from Legally Blonde, that was awarded an excellent, which was Troupe’s first large group musical entry ever.

“It was an unforgettable experiences. From the audition process, every rehearsal to the actual competition, I loved every minute of it,” junior Claudia Villegas said.

Just as the variety within the competition, the performances in the I.E showcase varied from solos and monologues, to a closing group number and everything else that is in between an acting showcase. The show was split between two acts and the individual performances were split between them. Students who explored musical as well as non-musical styles brought a different flavor to each piece. A number of performances were comedic and had the audience bursting at the stitches, whereas there were performances that were meant to be dramatic pieces that captivated the audience and held them with anticipation.

“These are performances of everything we have taken to competition and took this Saturday [December 7, 2013]. We’ve got scenes, we’ve got monologues, we’ve got songs and we’ve got group numbers. Its was great time,” drama teacher Mrs. Barrow said.

Drama is a celebration of art and expression; it opens the mind to the complexity of human feeling. The show gave the aspiring actors a chance to shine in the spotlight. On Saturday December 7th, the remaining thespians performed for the remaining IE’s; who proved themselves once again and excelled at districts. In the end, troupe brought back home a multitude of awards. Those with superiors will advance onto state competitions. We wish you the best of luck. Break a leg troupe!