Four high school theatre troupes from Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) participated in the Annual Maryland Thespian Festival at the University of Maryland. The festival, which includes performances, workshops, troupe events, college auditions, and awards, saw CCPS troupes compete with others from around the state.
Calvert High School Double Edge Sword Productions, Huntingtown High School Eye of the Storm Productions, Northern High School Patriot Players, and Patuxent High School Harlequins were the CCPS troupes that participated in the festival. The festival also had showcase performances selected based on outstanding performances in individual events. According to Christine Cook, CCPS’ Supervisor of Fine & Performing Arts, five of the six showcase events were from Calvert County Public Schools.
“Our students did a phenomenal job across all the categories this year,” said Cook.
Huntingtown High School’s Eye of the Storm Productions emerged as the winner of the one-act play competition with “This Random World.” This win secured CCPS as the State Champions. The HHS troupe has been invited to perform at the International Thespian Festival in Bloomington, IN this summer.
Patuxent High School Harlequins’ “Rogues Gallery” was featured on the Main Stage in non-competition as last year’s winner. The Main Stage performance also featured the Huntingtown High School Eye of the Storm Productions performance of “Equivocations” and received a resounding standing ovation from their peers.
Main Stage performances are selected prior to the event by a panel of judges. Equivocations was the only full-length play invited to perform at this year’s festival.
Aside from the student achievements, three individuals from CCPS also received awards at the festival. Christine Cook was selected as the Administrator of the Year, Derek Anderson honored as the Teacher of the Year, and Allen Price was awarded a service award for ten years of service to the festival.
Overall, the CCPS troupes had a successful outing at the Annual Maryland Thespian Festival. Their impressive performances were recognized and rewarded, cementing their status as one of the top theatre programs in the state. The school district can be proud of their students and staff for their hard work and dedication.
Congratulations to the following students who earned superiors, the highest rating, in individual events:
Monologue Performance
Patuxent HS- Brooke Baney
Huntingtown HS- Terry Bartlebaugh
Huntingtown HS- Nik Clarke
Huntingtown HS- Reilly Damalouji
Patuxent HS- Micah Estep
Patuxent HS- Heather Farley
Huntingtown HS- Aidan Ford
Patuxent HS- Garan Gray
Patuxent HS- Zachary Leclerc
Duet Acting
Patuxent HS- Julia Atwell and Rose Winter
Patuxent HS- Hannah Beadnell and Cecelia Pyrah
Patuxent HS- Cassie Cornelius and Garan Gray
Patuxent HS- Micah Estep and Natalie Shipman
Patuxent HS- Garan Gray and Jasmin Sandoval
Patuxent HS- Xavier Huertas and Autumn Biddle
Patuxent HS- Grace Gallagher and James Dunkins
Patuxent HS- Hermes Johns and Zachary Leclerc
Patuxent HS- Catrina Peck and Carole Varvel
Group Acting
Huntingtown HS- Aeowyn Fields, Taylor Eversole, and Reilly Damalouji
Solo Musical Performance
Patuxent HS- Julia Atwell
Patuxent HS- Olivia Bishop
Huntingtown HS- Terry Bartlebaugh
Huntingtown HS- Kayla Rogers
Patuxent HS- Lilly Windsor
Duet Musical Performance
Patuxent HS- Hermes Jones and Micah Estep
Costume Design
Huntingtown HS- Maggie Berry
Short Film
Patuxent HS- Natalie Shipman
Showcase Performance
Patuxent HS- Julia Atwell
Huntingtown HS- Terry Bartlebaugh
Patuxent HS- Hannah Beadnell and Cecelia Pyrah-Duet Acting
Patuxent HS- Micah Estep
Huntingtown HS- Aeowyn Fields, Reilly Damalouji, and Taylor Eversole
Scholarships
Nik Clarke — Arcadia University
Terry Bartlebaugh — Arcadia University & UMD-College Park