Southeast Iowa shows up at All State Festival

AMES — Speech teams from across Iowa gathered on Iowa State University campus last Saturday as the best of the best performed and received recognition for their hard work.

The new Iowa High School Speech Association director Stacy Hansen addressed the crowd during the opening ceremony by congratulating students that made their way to the All State showcase, and encouraging those simply attending to take it all in and learn from these performers.

“Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Hear Ye!” the All State Festival began following the sound of a trumpet.

“… Then without further preface or prologue, I command that this All-State Festival shall, from this moment forth, BEGIN!” a member of the IHSSA Executive Committee proclaimed before releasing performers and audience members to explore all that the All State Festival had to offer.

Mid-Prairie, Washington, Maharishi, and New London schools sent teams to either perform or receive recognition.

Mid-Prairie had two improv teams performs along with their Musical Theater entry of “Spamalot.”

One of Washington High School’s improv teams performed with a prompt about “Swim lessons for those that cannot swim.”

They received reactions from the crowd as they flung their bodies from a chair that they used as diving board.

“The prompt really is a diving board into a whole pool of opportunity,” All State improve critic Steven Hydeen of The 402 Acting Academy told the students and audience.

Maharishi’s choral reading captivated the All State audience as they created a scene that addressed the complexities of creativity in society and within oneself.

Choral Reading critic Teresa Jackson ran onto the stage following Maharishi’s performance of “Your Verse in Powerful Play.”

After taking a group photo with the performers, Jackson praised the team’s use of space, vocal variety, and ability to build tension.

New London sent a student page across the stage during closing ceremonies to receive their honorable mention for their ensemble acting, “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened.”

From 9 a.m.-4 p.m. students performed throughout the Iowa State University campus.

As the festival ended, the following schools received Critic Choice Awards and took the traveling banners back to their schools until next year.

ONE ACT PLAY: Cedar Rapids Washington

READERS THEATRE: Maquoketa Valley

CHORAL READING: Siouxland Christian

ENSEMBLE ACTING: Dubuque Senior

GROUP MIME: Grinnell

SOLO MIME: Dubuque Senior

TELEVISION NEWSCASTING: IKM-Manning

GROUP IMPROVISATION: Decorah

MUSICAL THEATRE: Clear Creek Amana

RADIO BROADCASTING: Dubuque Senior

SHORT FILM: IKM-Manning

Dubuque Senior also took home the E. Wayne Cooley Sweepstakes traveling trophy for the most All State performing teams.

While none of the Southeast Iowa teams took home the highest honors at All State, each did walk across the stage at closing ceremony to receive recognition as some of the best performances throughout the state this speech season.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com