Twenty-one John Paul II Collegiate drama club students went to the Saskatchewan Regional Drama Festival in Turtleford, April 7-9, under the direction of Lindell Gateley. This was their first year in the festival. Eleven different schools: Turtleford Community School (two groups presented), Glaslyn Central School, H. Hard Castle School in Edam, St. Walburg School, Medstead Central School, Spirtwood High School, North Battleford Comprehensive High School, Paradise Hill School and Carpenter High School from Meadow Lake performed at the festival.
Over the three days, each school presented their play for an audience and were critiqued by Janice Lamb, the front of house adjudicator, and Roxane Mamer, the backstage adjudicator.
The students of John Paul II performed the play, Just Like Us, April 8. The play is set in a magical land and the story is told by a talking tree. The story is about two groups of people, the blues and the greens, who are always fighting. The greens are poets while the blues are musicians. Suddenly a storm brings a stranger to their land who changes their lives for the better. This play even has a pair of star-crossed lovers fighting against the struggle.
Afterwards the students danced the night away at the dance organized for all the drama competitors. They had their adjudicator workshop on Saturday which led up to a tasty banquet. The students crossed their fingers at the awards ceremony. The regional winners were Spiritwood High School with their play, Earwig. Turtleford was the runner-up with their play, Asylum.
The John Paul II students didn't go home empty-handed though. They won an award of merit for the whole ensemble. The students were a little disappointed that they didn't win, but are excited for next year's festival.
The students of the drama club at John Paul II Collegiate will be putting on their play, Just Like Us, again for the public at Showcase of The Stars sometime in May, date to be confirmed.
